French composer

Hector Berlioz Louis-Hector Berlioz (11 December 1803 – 8 March 1869) was a French Romantic music, Romantic composer and conductor. His output includes orchestral works such as the ''Symphonie fantastique'' and ''Harold en Italie, Harold in Italy'' ...

wrote a number of "overtures", many of which have become popular concert works. They include true

overture Overture (from French ''ouverture'', "opening") is a music instrumental introduction to a ballet, opera, or oratorio in the 17th century. During the early Romantic era, composers such as Beethoven and Mendelssohn composed overtures which ...

s, intended to introduce operas, but also independent concert overtures that are in effect the first orchestral

tone poem A symphonic poem or tone poem is a piece of orchestral music, usually in a single continuous movement (music), movement, which illustrates or evokes the content of a poem, short story, novel, painting, landscape, or other (non-musical) source. T ...

''Les francs-juges''

''Les francs-juges'', Op. 3. Composed 1826. The overture to Berlioz's first attempt at opera, which was never staged. The overture was first performed in the concert hall of the

Paris Conservatoire The Conservatoire de Paris (), or the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (; CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue Jean Ja ...

as part of an all Berlioz concert on 26 May 1828. In his study on the composer, Jacques Barzun describes the work as "a genuine tour de force for a young dramatic musician working without knowledge of Beethoven." The instrumentation is two flutes doubling piccolo, two oboes, two clarinets in C, two bassoons,

contrabassoon The contrabassoon, also known as the double bassoon, is a larger version of the bassoon, sounding an octave lower. Its technique is similar to its smaller cousin, with a few notable differences. Differences from the bassoon The Reed (mouthpie ...

, four horns (in E and D), three trumpets (two in E and one in E), three trombones, two ophicleides, percussion (timpani, bass drum and cymbals) and strings.

''Waverley''

''Waverley: grande ouverture'' (Waverley: Grand Overture), Op. 1. A

concert overture Overture (from French ''ouverture'', "opening") is a music instrumental introduction to a ballet, opera, or oratorio in the 17th century. During the early Romantic era, composers such as Beethoven and Mendelssohn composed overtures which were ...

composed in 1828. It was first performed at the

on 26 May 1828. Berlioz took his inspiration from Sir

Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European literature, European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'' (18 ...

's '' Waverley'' novels. The instrumentation is two flutes (second doubling piccolo), two oboes, two clarinets (one in C and one in A), four bassoons, four horns in D, three trumpets (one in D and two in A), three trombones, ophicleide, timpani and strings.

''Le roi Lear''

''Le roi Lear'' (King Lear), Op. 4. Composed in

Nice Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one million Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

(due to winning the

Prix de Rome The Prix de Rome () or Grand Prix de Rome was a French scholarship for arts students, initially for painters and sculptors, that was established in 1663 during the reign of Louis XIV of France. Winners were awarded a bursary that allowed them t ...

). The overture is based on

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

's ''

King Lear ''The Tragedy of King Lear'', often shortened to ''King Lear'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is loosely based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his ...

'', 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. The instrumentation is two flutes (second doubling piccolo), two oboes, two clarinets in C, two bassoons, four horns (in E and C), two trumpets in C, three trombones,

ophicleide The ophicleide ( ) is a family of conical-bore keyed brass instruments invented in early 19th-century France to extend the keyed bugle into the lower range. Of these, the bass ophicleide in eight-foot (8′) C or 9′ B took root over the cour ...

, timpani and strings. In the publication of the overture by Breitkopf and Härtel, the ophicleide is exchanged for a tuba on the basis that French and German orchestras no longer owned ophicleides. This editorial decision is upheld in many modern performances.

''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 Roy''. Berlioz was never happy with the piece, regarding it as "long and diffuse", and withdrew it after the premiere. A plaintive melody for cor anglais would later find prominent use for the solo viola in ''

Harold en Italie (''Harold in Italy, symphony with viola obbligato''), as the manuscript describes it, is a four-movement orchestral work by Hector Berlioz, his Opus 16, H. 68, written in 1834. Throughout, the unusual viola part represents the titular protago ...

''. The instrumentation is two flutes (second doubling piccolo), two oboes,

English horn The cor anglais (, or original ; plural: ''cors anglais''), or English horn (mainly North America), is a double-reed woodwind instrument in the oboe family. It is approximately one and a half times the length of an oboe, making it essentially ...

, two clarinets in A, two bassoons, four horns (in D and G), three trumpets (one in D and two in A), three trombones, timpani, harp and strings.

''Benvenuto Cellini''

Overture to the opera of the same name, composed in 1838. The instrumentation is two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets in C, four bassoons, four horns (in G, E and D), four trumpets (in G, E and D), two cornets in A, three trombones,

, percussion (

timbales Timbales () or pailas are shallow single-headed drums with metal casing. They are shallower than single-headed tom-toms and usually tuned much higher, especially for their size.Orovio, Helio 1981. ''Diccionario de la música cubana: biográfic ...

, cymbals, triangle, bass drum) and strings.

''Le carnaval romain''

''Le carnaval romain, ouverture pour orchestre'' (Roman Carnival Overture), Op. 9. Composed in 1843 and first performed at the

Salle Herz The Salle des Concerts Herz, usually referred to simply as the Salle Herz, was a concert hall in Paris, located at 48, rue de la Victoire. It was built in 1838 by the French pianist-composer Henri Herz. The hall was used for public performances ...

, Paris, on 3 February 1844. A stand-alone overture intended for concert performance, made up of material and themes from Berlioz's

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

''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 The cor anglais (, or original ; plural: ''cors anglais''), or English horn (mainly North America), is a double-reed woodwind instrument in the oboe family. It is approximately one and a half times the length of an oboe, making it essentially ...

. Music about Rome

''Le corsaire''

''Le corsaire'' (The Corsair), Op. 21. Overture composed while Berlioz was on holiday in Nice 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 (September 15, 1789 – September 14, 1851) was an American writer of the first half of the 19th century, whose historical romances depicting colonial and indigenous characters from the 17th to the 19th centuries brought h ...

's novel ''

The Red Rover ''The Red Rover'' is a novel by American writer James Fenimore Cooper. It was originally published in Paris on November 27, 1827, before being published in London three days later on November 30. It was not published in the United States until J ...

'') and finally ''Le corsaire'' (suggesting

Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824) was an English poet. He is one of the major figures of the Romantic movement, and is regarded as being among the greatest poets of the United Kingdom. Among his best-kno ...

's poem ''

The Corsair ''The Corsair'' (1814) is a long tale in verse written by Lord Byron (see 1814 in poetry) and published by John Murray in London. It was extremely popular, selling ten thousand copies on its first day of sale, and was influential throughout t ...

''). The instrumentation is two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets in C, four horns (in C and F), two bassoons, two trumpets in C, two cornets in B, three trombones,

, timpani and strings.

''La fuite en Égypte''

Overture to ''La fuite en Égypte'' (The Flight into Egypt). Together with two choral pieces, ''L'adieu des bergers'' and ''Le repos de la sainte famille'', this made up a short work depicting

Jesus Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

and his family fleeing to Egypt to escape persecution by

King Herod Herod may refer to: Members of the Herodian dynasty Members of the Herodian dynasty, named after Herod the Great, in chronological order: * Herod the Great (born c. 74 BC, ruled 37–4 BC or 1 BC), client king of Judea who expanded the Second Tem ...

. This was published in 1852 but wound up as the core of another, larger work: the

oratorio An oratorio () is a musical composition with dramatic or narrative text for choir, soloists and orchestra or other ensemble. Similar to opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguisha ...

L'enfance du Christ ''L'Enfance du Christ'' (''The Childhood of Christ''), Opus 25, is an oratorio by the French composer Hector Berlioz, based on the Holy Family's flight into Egypt (see Gospel of Matthew 2:13). Berlioz wrote his own words for the piece. Most of it ...

''.

''Béatrice et Bénédict''

''Béatrice et Bénédict''. Overture to the opera of the same name, composed in 1862.

''Les Troyens à Carthage''

Berlioz's epic opera ''

Les Troyens ''Les Troyens'' (; in English: ''The Trojans'') is a French grand opera in five acts, running for about five hours, by Hector Berlioz. The libretto was written by Berlioz himself from Virgil's epic poem the ''Aeneid''; the score was composed be ...

'' was never performed complete during his lifetime. In an attempt to have the opera staged by the

Théâtre Lyrique The Théâtre Lyrique () was one of four opera companies performing in Paris during the middle of the 19th century (the other three being the Paris Opera, Opéra, the Opéra-Comique, and the Théâtre-Italien (1801–1878), Théâtre-Italien). ...

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'' (''The Trojans at Carthage''). Only the latter was accepted and Berlioz wrote an orchestral prologue to introduce this version evoking the tragic fate of

Troy Troy (/; ; ) or Ilion (; ) was an ancient city located in present-day Hisarlik, Turkey. It is best known as the setting for the Greek mythology, Greek myth of the Trojan War. The archaeological site is open to the public as a tourist destina ...

Recordings

The individual overtures have been recorded many times. This is a partial 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, Rob Roy.''

London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is a British orchestra based in London. One of five permanent symphony orchestras in London, the LPO was founded by the conductors Thomas Beecham, Sir Thomas Beecham and Malcolm Sargent in 1932 as a riv ...

, conducted by

Adrian Boult Sir Adrian Cedric Boult, CH (; 8 April 1889 – 22 February 1983) was a British conductor. Brought up in a prosperous mercantile family, he followed musical studies in England and at Leipzig, Germany, with early conducting work in London ...

. Recorded 28–29 August 1956: LPs Westminster WST 14008 and WST 14009 reissued on CD, First Hand Remasters FHR07, 2010 *''Overtures'': ''Les francs-juges, Waverley, Le roi Lear, Le carnaval romain, Béatrice et Bénédict, Le corsaire, Benvenuto Cellini.''

Staatskapelle Dresden The Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden (), or Saxon State Orchestra Dresden, is one of the oldest orchestras in the world, created by order of Maurice, Elector of Saxony in 1548. Under communist East Germany and until 1992 it was called Staatskap ...

, conducted by

Sir Colin Davis Sir Colin Rex Davis (25 September 1927 – 14 April 2013) was an English conductor, known for his association with the London Symphony Orchestra, having first conducted it in 1959. His repertoire was broad, but among the composers with whom h ...

. 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: 68 minutes,

Naxos Naxos (; , ) is a Greek island belonging to the Cyclades island group. It is the largest island in the group. It was an important centre during the Bronze Age Cycladic Culture and in the Ancient Greek Archaic Period. The island is famous as ...

. 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 Symphony The San Diego Symphony is an American symphony orchestra based in San Diego, California. The orchestra performs at Jacobs Music Center and the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park. It serves as the orchestra for the San Diego Opera. History On December 6, ...

, Yoav Talmi. CD, DDD, TT: 75 minutes,

. Cat. no. 8.550999, barcode 0730099599924 *''Overtures'': ''Le Carnaval Romain, Beatrice et Benedict, Le corsaire, Benevenuto Cellini'', ''Les Troyens: Royal Hunt and Storm'', ''Romeo et Juliette: Queen Mab Scherzo'', and

Camille Saint-Saëns Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (, , 9October 183516 December 1921) was a French composer, organist, conductor and pianist of the Romantic music, Romantic era. His best-known works include Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso (1863), the Piano ...

's ''Omphale's Spinning Wheel'',

Boston Symphony Orchestra The Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an American orchestra based in Boston. It is the second-oldest of the five major American symphony orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five (orchestras), Big Five". Founded by Henry Lee Higginson in ...

conducted by Charles Munch. CD, RCA

References

*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)

External links

* {{Authority control Compositions by Hector Berlioz

Berlioz Louis-Hector Berlioz (11 December 1803 – 8 March 1869) was a French Romantic music, Romantic composer and conductor. His output includes orchestral works such as the ''Symphonie fantastique'' and ''Harold en Italie, Harold in Italy'' ...

1826 compositions 1828 compositions 1831 compositions 1838 compositions 1843 compositions 1844 compositions 1852 compositions 1862 compositions