50 Best Overtures [3 CDs]

• Audio Samples
• Album Summary
• Notes & Reviews
• Also Purchased
• Works Details

Audio Samples

Album Summary

Conductors

• Boult, Adrian
• Davis, Colin
• Frémaux, Louis
• Gardelli, Lamberto
• Gardiner, John Eliot
• Gelmetti, Gianluigi
• Giulini, Carlo Maria
• Haïm, Emmanuelle
• Heger, Robert
• Hickox, Richard
• Jansons, Mariss
• Karajan, Herbert von
• Keilberth, Joseph
• Kempe, Rudolf
• Klobucar, Berislav
• Lanchbery, John
• Marriner, Sir Neville
• Molinari-Pradelli, France
• Muti, Riccardo
• Norrington, Roger
• Prêtre, Georges
• Rattle, Simon, Sir
• Rodzinski, Artur
• Rudel, Julius
• Sawallisch, Wolfgang
• Serafin, Tullio
• Tate, Jeffrey
• Tausky, Vilem
• Willcocks, David

Ensemble

• 

Composers

• Franz von Suppé (1819 - 1895)
• Richard Wagner (1813 - 1883)
• Gioachino Rossini (1792 - 1868)
• Vincenzo Bellini (1801 - 1835)
• Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky (1840 - 1893)
• Giuseppe Verdi (1813 - 1901)
• Charles Gounod (Composer) (1818 - 1893)
• Engelbert Humperdinck (Classical) (1854 - 1921)
• Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827)
• Otto Nicolai (1810 - 1849)
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791)
• Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari (1876 - 1948)
• Bedrich Smetana (1824 - 1884)
• Georges Bizet (1838 - 1875)
• Emmanuel Chabrier (1841 - 1894)
• Henry Purcell (1659 - 1695)
• Carl Maria von Weber (1786 - 1826)
• Johann Strauss II (Junior) (1825 - 1899)
• Gaetano Donizetti (1797 - 1848)
• Mikhail Glinka (1804 - 1857)
• Emil Nikolaus von Reznicek (1860 - 1945)
• Ambroise Thomas (1811 - 1896)
• Jacques Offenbach (1819 - 1880)
• George Frederick Handel (1685 - 1759)

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Works Details

Rossini, Gioachino : Il barbiere di Siviglia

• Conductor: Carlo Giulini
• Running Time: 7 min. 31 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Written: 1816

Rossini, Gioachino : La scala di seta

• Conductor: Gianluigi Gelmetti
• Running Time: 5 min. 47 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Written: 1812

Rossini, Gioachino : Il Signor Bruschino

• Conductor: Gianluigi Gelmetti
• Running Time: 4 min. 17 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Written: 1813

Rossini, Gioachino : Tancredi

• Conductor: Gianluigi Gelmetti
• Running Time: 5 min. 36 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Written: 1813

Rossini, Gioachino : Overture to L'italiana in Algeri :: [Excerpt]

• Conductor: Gianluigi Gelmetti
• Notes: Composition written: 1813.
• Running Time: 2 min. 57 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Written: 1813

Rossini, Gioachino : Overture to Guillaume Tell :: [Excerpt]

• Conductor: Lamberto Gardelli
• Running Time: 6 min. 16 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Written: 1829

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus : Le nozze di Figaro :: Overture

• Conductor: Colin Davis
• Running Time: 4 min. 21 sec.
• Period Time: Classical
• Written: 1786

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus : Così fan tutte, K 588 :: Overture

• Conductor: Colin Davis
• Running Time: 4 min. 39 sec.
• Period Time: Classical
• Written: 1790

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus : Don Giovanni :: Overture

• Conductor: Colin Davis
• Running Time: 6 min. 13 sec.
• Period Time: Classical
• Form: Opera/Operetta
• Written: 1787

Donizetti, Gaetano : L' elisir d'amore, opera :: Prelude

• Conductor: France Molinari-Pradelli
• Running Time: 2 min. 56 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Written: 1832

Bellini, Vincenzo : I Puritani, opera :: Introduction

• Conductor: Riccardo Muti
• Running Time: 3 min. 29 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Written: 1835

Wolf-Ferrari, Ermanno : Il segreto di Susanna :: Overture

• Conductor: Sir Marriner
• Running Time: 2 min. 46 sec.
• Period Time: Post Romantic
• Written: 12/04/1909

Wolf-Ferrari, Ermanno : I quattro rusteghi :: Prelude

• Conductor: Sir Marriner
• Running Time: 1 min. 42 sec.
• Period Time: Post Romantic
• Form: Opera/Operetta
• Written: 03/19/1906

Glinka, Mikhail : Ruslan and Lyudmila :: Ruslan and Ludmilla, G. xivov

• Conductor: Artur Rodzinski
• Running Time: 5 min. 14 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Written: 1837-1842

Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich : The Nutcracker :: Miniature Overture

• Conductor: John Lanchbery
• Running Time: 3 min. 4 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Form: Ballet
• Written: 1892

Smetana, Bedrich : Prodaná nevesta (The Bartered Bride), overture to the opera

• Conductor: Rudolf Kempe
• Running Time: 6 min. 42 sec.
• Period Time: Post Romantic
• Written: 1863-1870

Reznicek, Emil Nikolaus von : Donna Diana, overture to the opera

• Conductor: Rudolf Kempe
• Running Time: 4 min. sec.
• Period Time: Modern
• Form: Orchestral

Verdi, Giuseppe : La forza del destino :: Overture

• Conductor: Riccardo Muti
• Running Time: 7 min. 13 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Form: Opera/Operetta
• Written: 1862

Verdi, Giuseppe : Luisa Miller :: Overture

• Conductor: Riccardo Muti
• Running Time: 5 min. 39 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Form: Opera/Operetta
• Written: 1849

Verdi, Giuseppe : Nabucco :: Overture

• Conductor: Riccardo Muti
• Running Time: 7 min. 10 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Form: Opera/Operetta
• Written: 1842

Verdi, Giuseppe : Un ballo in maschera :: Prelude

• Conductor: Riccardo Muti
• Running Time: 4 min. 1 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Form: Opera/Operetta
• Written: 1859

Verdi, Giuseppe : Macbeth :: Prelude

• Conductor: Riccardo Muti
• Notes: Composition written: 1847.
• Running Time: 3 min. 2 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Form: Opera/Operetta
• Written: 1847

Verdi, Giuseppe : La traviata :: Prelude

• Conductor: Riccardo Muti
• Notes: Composition written: 1853.
• Running Time: 3 min. 53 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Form: Opera/Operetta
• Written: 1853

Verdi, Giuseppe : Ernani :: Prelude

• Conductor: Riccardo Muti
• Running Time: 3 min. 23 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Form: Opera/Operetta
• Written: 1844
• Studio/Live: Live

Verdi, Giuseppe : Aida, opera :: Prelude

• Conductor: Tullio Serafin
• Notes: Composition written: 1871.
• Running Time: 4 min. 12 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Form: Opera/Operetta
• Written: 1871

Verdi, Giuseppe : Rigoletto :: Prelude

• Conductor: Julius Rudel
• Running Time: 2 min. 22 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Form: Opera/Operetta
• Written: 1851

Verdi, Giuseppe : I vespri siciliani :: Overture [Excerpt]

• Conductor: Riccardo Muti
• Running Time: 4 min. 49 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Form: Opera/Operetta
• Written: 1855

Bizet, Georges : Carmen, opera :: Prelude

• Conductor: Georges Prêtre
• Running Time: 2 min. 18 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Form: Opera/Operetta
• Written: 1873-1874

Thomas, Ambroise : Overture to "Mignon"

• Conductor: Berislav Klobucar
• Running Time: 4 min. 42 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic

Gounod, Charles : Faust :: Introduction

• Conductor: Georges Prêtre
• Running Time: 5 min. 20 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Form: Opera/Operetta
• Written: 1856-1859

Chabrier, Emmanuel : L'Étoile :: Overture

• Conductor: John Gardiner
• Running Time: 5 min. 14 sec.
• Period Time: Post Romantic
• Form: Opera/Operetta

Offenbach, Jacques : La Vie parisienne :: Overture

• Conductor: Louis Frémaux
• Running Time: 4 min. 55 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Form: Opera/Operetta
• Written: circa 1866-1873

Offenbach, Jacques : Orphée aux enfers :: Overture [Excerpt]

• Conductor: Herbert Karajan
• Running Time: 2 min. 6 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Form: Opera/Operetta
• Written: 1858

Humperdinck, Engelbert : Hänsel und Gretel, overture to the opera

• Conductor: Jeffrey Tate
• Running Time: 8 min. 5 sec.
• Period Time: Post Romantic

Purcell, Henry : Dido and Aeneas :: Overture

• Conductor: Emmanuelle Haïm
• Running Time: 2 min. 17 sec.
• Period Time: Baroque
• Form: Opera/Operetta
• Written: 1689

Handel, George Frideric : Alcina :: Overture

• Conductor: Richard Hickox
• Running Time: 3 min. 11 sec.
• Period Time: Baroque
• Form: Opera/Operetta
• Written: 1735

Handel, George Frideric : Messiah :: Overture

• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 4 min. 11 sec.
• Period Time: Baroque
• Form: Cantata/Oratorio
• Written: 1741

Beethoven, Ludwig van : Fidelio, overture, Op. 72c

• Conductor: Simon Rattle
• Running Time: 6 min. 51 sec.
• Period Time: Classical
• Form: Orchestral
• Written: 1814

Weber, Carl Maria von : Overture to Der Freischütz :: [Excerpt]

• Conductor: Joseph Keilberth
• Running Time: 4 min. 53 sec.
• Period Time: Classical
• Written: 1817-1821

Weber, Carl Maria von : Euryanthe :: Overture [Excerpt]

• Conductor: Wolfgang Sawallisch
• Running Time: 3 min. 44 sec.
• Period Time: Classical
• Form: Opera/Operetta
• Written: 1822-1823

Suppé, Franz von : Leichte Kavallerie (Light Cavalry), overture to the operetta

• Conductor: Sir Marriner
• Running Time: 7 min. 9 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Written: 1866

Suppé, Franz von : Ein Morgen, ein Mittag und ein Abend in Wien

• Conductor: Sir Marriner
• Running Time: 7 min. 57 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Written: 1844

Suppé, Franz von : Dichter und Bauer (Poet and Peasant), overture to the operetta

• Conductor: Sir Marriner
• Running Time: 5 min. 25 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Written: 1846

Nicolai, Otto : Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor :: Overture [Excerpt]

• Conductor: Robert Heger
• Notes: Composition written: 1849.
• Running Time: 4 min. 39 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Form: Opera/Operetta
• Written: 1849

Strauss II (Junior), Johann : Overture to Die Fledermaus Overture :: [Excerpt]

• Conductor: Vilem Tausky
• Notes: Composition written: 1874.
• Running Time: 3 min. 19 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Written: 1874

Strauss II (Junior), Johann : Der Zigeunerbaron

• Conductor: Vilem Tausky
• Notes: Composition written: 1885.
• Running Time: 2 min. 52 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Written: 1885

Wagner, Richard : The Flying Dutchman :: Overture

• Conductor: Roger Norrington
• Running Time: 4 min. 17 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Written: 1841

Wagner, Richard : Die Walküre :: Prelude to Act 3 (The Ride of the Valkyries)

• Conductor: Mariss Jansons
• Running Time: 4 min. 50 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Form: Opera/Operetta
• Written: 1854-1856

Wagner, Richard : Lohengrin :: Prelude to Act 3

• Conductor: Mariss Jansons
• Running Time: 2 min. 54 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Form: Opera/Operetta
• Written: 1848

Wagner, Richard : Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg :: Prelude

• Conductor: Adrian Boult
• Running Time: 10 min. 5 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Written: 1862-1867