For our next playlist, we'd like to introduce you to the world of overtures. Motivation can be in short supply at the moment and the excitement of an overture might be just what you need to get moving and start your day! Beginning in Mantua, Italy in 1607 with Claudio Monteverdi's epic ‘Toccata’ from the opening of L’Orfeo (we have a sentimental attachment to Monteverdi as we met in a student production of this opera!) this playlist will take you to France, England, and Germany. You'll hear overtures from opera seria as well as ballets and orchestral suites.
If you've ever heard an opera, then the chances are you've heard an overture. These exciting pieces are designed to raise the listener's heart rate and build anticipation for the drama to come. You might have previously heard a lot of overtures written in a more freely-composed structure than many of the pieces here. This is because for a large part of the baroque era, the 'French Overture' was the dominant form. This style emerged alongside opera and ballet throughout the 17th century.
The French Overture starts with a stately section to grab the attention of the audience, which sometimes announced the entrance of the king. Following this stately introduction is an exciting, faster passage where you will hear each part enter one at a time. The final section is often a return to the initial stately affect allowing for a grand finale. Often the whole overture was repeated, including repeats of each individual section to allow for changes in dynamics, timbre, affect, and ornamentation. As you'll hear on this playlist, the aforementioned form is not the only one. By the time you reach Rameau's opera Zaïs (1748), the overture resembles much more the form we are used to hearing in Romantic and 20th-century music.
We hope this music brings you as much joy and excitement as it does to us. Thank you all for your continued support for our Australian Cultural Fund Boost Campaign, we look forward to playing for you very soon!