Overtures by Hector Berlioz
Encyclopedia
The French
composer Hector Berlioz
wrote a number of overture
s, many of which have become popular concert items. They include overtures intended to introduce operas as well as independent concert overture
s.
.
on 26 May 1828. Berlioz took his inspiration from Sir Walter Scott's Waverley
novels.
in 1831 during Berlioz's journey back to France after his stay in Italy
(as a result of winning the Prix de Rome
). The overture is based on Shakespeare
's King Lear
, a recent discovery for the composer whose love of the dramatist is evident in many other of his works. It was first performed at the Paris Conservatoire on 22 December 1833.
. Berlioz was never happy with the piece, regarding it as "long and diffuse", and withdrew it after the premiere.
, composed in 1838.
on 3 February 1844. A stand-alone overture intended for concert performance, made up of material and themes from Berlioz's opera
Benvenuto Cellini
, including some music from the opera's carnival scene - hence the overture's title. It is scored for large orchestra, is in the key of A major, and features a prominent and famous solo for the cor anglais
.
in August 1844. It was first performed under the title La tour de Nice (The Tower of Nice) on 19 January 1845. It was then renamed Le corsaire rouge (after James Fenimore Cooper
's novel The Red Rover
) and finally Le corsaire (suggesting Byron's poem The Corsair
).
and his family fleeing to Egypt
to escape the persecution of King Herod
, which was first published in 1852. This became the core of the oratorio
L'enfance du Christ
.
, composed in 1862.
was never performed complete during his lifetime. In an attempt to have the opera staged by the Théâtre Lyrique
in 1863, he split it into two parts, with Acts 1 and 2 becoming La prise de Troie (The Capture of Troy) and Acts 3-5 Les Troyens à Carthage. Only the latter was accepted and Berlioz wrote an orchestral prologue to introduce this version evoking the tragic fate of Troy
.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
composer Hector Berlioz
Hector Berlioz
Hector Berlioz was a French Romantic composer, best known for his compositions Symphonie fantastique and Grande messe des morts . Berlioz made significant contributions to the modern orchestra with his Treatise on Instrumentation. He specified huge orchestral forces for some of his works; as a...
wrote a number of overture
Overture
Overture in music is the term originally applied to the instrumental introduction to an opera...
s, many of which have become popular concert items. They include overtures intended to introduce operas as well as independent concert overture
Symphonic poem
A symphonic poem or tone poem is a piece of orchestral music in a single continuous section in which the content of a poem, a story or novel, a painting, a landscape or another source is illustrated or evoked. The term was first applied by Hungarian composer Franz Liszt to his 13 works in this vein...
s.
Les francs-juges
Les francs-juges Opus 3. Composed 1826. The overture to Berlioz's first, unperformed operaLes francs-juges
Les francs-juges is the title of an unfinished opera by the French composer Hector Berlioz written to a libretto by his friend Humbert Ferrand in 1826. The opera itself was abandoned by Berlioz, who destroyed most of the music...
.
Waverley
Waverley: grande ouverture (Waverley: Grand Overture) Opus 1. A concert overture composed in 1828. It was first performed at the Paris ConservatoireConservatoire de Paris
The Conservatoire de Paris is a college of music and dance founded in 1795, now situated in the avenue Jean Jaurès in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, France...
on 26 May 1828. Berlioz took his inspiration from Sir Walter Scott's Waverley
Waverley (novel)
Waverley is an 1814 historical novel by Sir Walter Scott. Initially published anonymously in 1814 as Scott's first venture into prose fiction, Waverley is often regarded as the first historical novel. It became so popular that Scott's later novels were advertised as being "by the author of...
novels.
Le roi Lear
Le roi Lear (King Lear), Opus 4. Composed in NiceNice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
in 1831 during Berlioz's journey back to France after his stay in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
(as a result of winning the Prix de Rome
Prix de Rome
The Prix de Rome was a scholarship for arts students, principally of painting, sculpture, and architecture. It was created, initially for painters and sculptors, in 1663 in France during the reign of Louis XIV. It was an annual bursary for promising artists having proved their talents by...
). The overture is based on Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's King Lear
King Lear
King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The title character descends into madness after foolishly disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological...
, a recent discovery for the composer whose love of the dramatist is evident in many other of his works. It was first performed at the Paris Conservatoire on 22 December 1833.
Rob Roy
Intrata di Rob Roy Macgregor (Rob Roy Overture). Composed in 1831 and first performed at the Paris Conservatoire on 14 April 1833. The overture was inspired by Sir Walter Scott's novel Rob RoyRob Roy (novel)
Rob Roy is a historical novel by Walter Scott. It is narrated by Frank Osbaldistone, the son of an English merchant who travels first to the North of England, and subsequently to the Scottish Highlands to collect a debt stolen from his father. On the way he encounters the larger-than-life title...
. Berlioz was never happy with the piece, regarding it as "long and diffuse", and withdrew it after the premiere.
Benvenuto Cellini
Overture to the opera of the same nameBenvenuto Cellini (opera)
Benvenuto Cellini is an opera in two acts with music by Hector Berlioz and libretto by Léon de Wailly and Henri Auguste Barbier. It was the first of Berlioz's operas. The story is loosely based on the memoirs of the Florentine sculptor Benvenuto Cellini. The opera is technically very challenging...
, composed in 1838.
Le carnaval romain
Le carnaval romain, ouverture pour orchestre (Roman Carnival Overture) Opus 9. Composed in 1843 and first performed at the Salle Herz, ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
on 3 February 1844. A stand-alone overture intended for concert performance, made up of material and themes from Berlioz's opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
Benvenuto Cellini
Benvenuto Cellini (opera)
Benvenuto Cellini is an opera in two acts with music by Hector Berlioz and libretto by Léon de Wailly and Henri Auguste Barbier. It was the first of Berlioz's operas. The story is loosely based on the memoirs of the Florentine sculptor Benvenuto Cellini. The opera is technically very challenging...
, including some music from the opera's carnival scene - hence the overture's title. It is scored for large orchestra, is in the key of A major, and features a prominent and famous solo for the cor anglais
Cor anglais
The cor anglais , or English horn , is a double-reed woodwind instrument in the oboe family....
.
Le corsaire
Le corsaire (The Corsair). Composed while Berlioz was on holiday in NiceNice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
in August 1844. It was first performed under the title La tour de Nice (The Tower of Nice) on 19 January 1845. It was then renamed Le corsaire rouge (after James Fenimore Cooper
James Fenimore Cooper
James Fenimore Cooper was a prolific and popular American writer of the early 19th century. He is best remembered as a novelist who wrote numerous sea-stories and the historical novels known as the Leatherstocking Tales, featuring frontiersman Natty Bumppo...
's novel The Red Rover
The Red Rover
The Red Rover is a novel by American writer James Fenimore Cooper originally published in Paris on November 27, 1827. It was published in London 3 days later on November 30, and was not published in the United States until January 9, 1828 in Philadelphia. Soon after its publication it was adapted...
) and finally Le corsaire (suggesting Byron's poem The Corsair
The Corsair
The Corsair was a semi-autobiographical tale in verse by Lord Byron in 1814 , which was extremely popular and influential in its day, selling ten thousand copies on its first day of sale...
).
La fuite en Egypte
Overture to La fuite en Egypte (The Flight into Egypt). With two other pieces, L'adieu des bergers and Le repos de la sainte famille, this made up La fuite en Egypte, a short work depicting JesusJesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
and his family fleeing to Egypt
Flight into Egypt
The flight into Egypt is a biblical event described in the Gospel of Matthew , in which Joseph fled to Egypt with his wife Mary and infant son Jesus after a visit by Magi because they learn that King Herod intends to kill the infants of that area...
to escape the persecution of King Herod
Herod the Great
Herod , also known as Herod the Great , was a Roman client king of Judea. His epithet of "the Great" is widely disputed as he is described as "a madman who murdered his own family and a great many rabbis." He is also known for his colossal building projects in Jerusalem and elsewhere, including his...
, which was first published in 1852. This became the core of the oratorio
Oratorio
An oratorio is a large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists. Like an opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias...
L'enfance du Christ
L'enfance du Christ
L'enfance du Christ , Opus 25, is an oratorio by the French composer Hector Berlioz, based on the Holy Family's flight into Egypt. Berlioz wrote his own words for the piece. Most of it was composed in 1853 and 1854, but it also incorporates an earlier work La fuite en Egypte...
.
Béatrice et Bénédict
Béatrice et Bénédict. Overture to the opera of the same nameBéatrice et Bénédict
Béatrice et Bénédict is an opera in two acts by Hector Berlioz. Berlioz wrote the French libretto himself, based closely on Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing....
, composed in 1862.
Les Troyens à Carthage: Prologue
Les Troyens à Carthage: Prologue (The Trojans at Carthage: Prologue) Berlioz's epic opera Les TroyensLes Troyens
Les Troyens is a French opera in five acts by Hector Berlioz. The libretto was written by Berlioz himself, based on Virgil's epic poem The Aeneid...
was never performed complete during his lifetime. In an attempt to have the opera staged by the Théâtre Lyrique
Théâtre Lyrique
The Théâtre Lyrique was one of four opera companies performing in Paris during the middle of the 19th century . The company was founded in 1847 as the Opéra-National by the French composer Adolphe Adam and renamed Théâtre Lyrique in 1852...
in 1863, he split it into two parts, with Acts 1 and 2 becoming La prise de Troie (The Capture of Troy) and Acts 3-5 Les Troyens à Carthage. Only the latter was accepted and Berlioz wrote an orchestral prologue to introduce this version evoking the tragic fate of Troy
Troy
Troy was a city, both factual and legendary, located in northwest Anatolia in what is now Turkey, southeast of the Dardanelles and beside Mount Ida...
.
Recordings
The individual overtures have been recorded many times. This is a list of collections exclusively devoted to Berlioz's overtures:- Overtures: Les francs-juges, Waverley, Le roi Lear, Le carnaval romain, Béatrice et Bénédict, Le corsaire, Benvenuto Cellini. Staatskapelle DresdenSächsische Staatskapelle DresdenThe Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden is an orchestra based in Dresden, Germany founded in 1548 by Kurfürst Moritz of Saxony. It is one of the world's oldest orchestras...
, conducted by Sir Colin DavisColin DavisSir Colin Rex Davis, CH, CBE is an English conductor. His repertoire is broad, but among the composers with whom he is particularly associated are Mozart, Berlioz, Elgar, Sibelius, Stravinsky and Tippett....
. CD, RCA, 1998 - Overtures: La damnation de Faust, Op.24 (excerpts): Part I Scene 3: Hungarian March/Rakoczy March & Part II Scene 7: Ballet des syphes; Roman Carnival Overture, Op.9; Romeo et Juliette, Op.17 - Love Scene; Le roi Lear; Benvenuto Cellini, Op.23 - Overture; Le corsaire, Overture, Op.21. Polish State Philharmonic Orchestra, Katowice, Kenneth Jean cond. CD, DDD, TT: 1h08m, NaxosNaxos RecordsNaxos Records is a record label specializing in classical music. Through a number of imprints, Naxos also releases genres including Chinese music, jazz, world music, and early rock & roll. The company was founded in 1987 by Klaus Heymann, a German-born resident of Hong Kong.Naxos is the largest...
. Cat. no. No: 8.550231, barcode 0730099523127 - Overtures: Benvenuto Cellini, Op.23; Waverley, Op.1; Beatrice and Benedict; King Lear, Op.4; Roman Carnival Overture, Op.9; Rob Roy; Le Corsaire, Op.21. San Diego SymphonySan Diego SymphonyThe San Diego Symphony is an American symphony orchestra, based in San Diego, California. On 6 December 1910, it gave its first concert as the San Diego Civic Orchestra.Currently, the Symphony performs over 100 concerts each season...
, Yoav Talmi. CD, DDD, TT: 1h15m, NaxosNaxos RecordsNaxos Records is a record label specializing in classical music. Through a number of imprints, Naxos also releases genres including Chinese music, jazz, world music, and early rock & roll. The company was founded in 1987 by Klaus Heymann, a German-born resident of Hong Kong.Naxos is the largest...
. Cat. no. 8.550999, barcode 0730099599924
Sources
- Booklet notes to the Davis recording
- David Cairns: Berlioz: The Making of an Artist (the first volume of his biography of the composer) (André Deutsch, 1989)
- Hugh Macdonald: Berlioz ("The Master Musicians", J.M.Dent, 1982)
- Berlioz: Memoirs (Dover, 1960)