Skip to content
    skip to navigation

    Classic FM

    Listen

    On Air Now

    Smooth Classics at Seven with Zeb Soanes 7pm - 10pm

    Smooth Classics at Seven with Zeb Soanes

    Now Playing

    The Watermill Ronald Binge Download 'The Watermill' on iTunes

    The Watermill artwork
    • Playlist
    • Schedule
    • Home
    • Radio
    • News
    • Discover Music
    • Composers
    • Artists
    • Lifestyle
    • Win
    • Charity
    • Podcasts
    • Events
    • Dating
    • Follow us on:
      Follow Classic FM on X
      Follow Classic FM on Facebook
      Follow Classic FM on Instagram
      Follow Classic FM on Youtube

    Shows & Presenters

    Everything You Ever Wanted to Know...

    Overtures and Openings

    Facebook share X share

    Catherine Bott picks some of the most important, interesting and entertaining overtures, which have preceded the curtain rising on operas, plays and even movies.

    1. Peri Euridice Prologo opera

      1. Peri: Euridice – Prologo

      The opera Euridice was written by Jacopo Peri in 1600 for the marriage of King Henry IV of France to Maria de Medici. It is the earliest opera to have survived to the present day. Even that far back, Peri opens with a brief instrumental prologue.

    2. Lully Psyche opera

      2. Lully: Psyche - Overture

      As a musical form, the French overture first appears in the court ballet and operatic overtures of Jean-Baptiste Lully which he elaborated from a similar, two-section form called Ouverture, found in the French ballets de cour as early as 1640. This French overture consists of a slow introduction followed by a lively movement.

    3. Dido and Aeneas

      3. Purcell: Dido and Aeneas – Overture

      The French ouverture style was also used in English opera, most notably in Henry Purcell's 1688 work, Dido and Aeneas. Its distinctive rhythm and function led to the French overture style as found in the works of late Baroque composers such as J.S. Bach.

    4. Julius Caesar Handel Giulio Cesare

      4. Handel: Giulio Cesare in Egitto – Overture

      Handel also unusually used the French overture style in some of his Italian operas, including Giulio Cesare in Egitto – Julius Caesar in Egypt – written in 1724.

    5. Abduction Seraglio Mozart

      5. Mozart: The Abduction from the Seraglio - Overture

      Italian overtures often detached from their operas and played as independent concert pieces became important to the early history of the symphony. Such was the case for Mozart’s overture to his opera, The Abduction from the Seraglio. Similar to the later Magic Flute overture, this one opens quietly and is then interrupted by loud passages similar to the Turkish military band music later in the opera.

    6. WNO Lohengrin Wagner

      6. Wagner: Lohengrin - Prelude to Act 1

      In 19th-century opera the overture, Vorspiel, Einleitung or Introduction became clearly defined as the music which takes place before the curtain rises. Richard Wagner's Vorspiel – or Prelude – to Lohengrin is a short self-contained movement founded on the music of the Grail later in the opera. Photo: Bill Cooper

    7. A Midsummer Night's Dream Mendelssohn Shakespeare

      7. Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night's Dream - Overture

      Although by the end of the 18th century opera overtures were already beginning to be performed as separate items in the concert hall, the "concert overture", intended specifically as an individual piece without reference to stage performance and generally based on some literary theme, began to appear early in the Romantic era. This 1826 overture by Mendelssohn is generally regarded as the first concert overture.

    8. Malcolm Arnold Grand overture hoover

      8. Malcolm Arnold: A Grand, Grand Overture

      A 20th-century parody of the late 19th century concert overture, scored for an enormous orchestra with organ, additional brass instruments, and obbligato parts for four rifles, three Hoover vacuum cleaners (two uprights in B♭, one horizontal with detachable sucker in C), and an electric floor polisher in E♭; it is dedicated to President Hoover!

    9. Lawrence of Arabia Peter O'Toole Omar Sharif

      9. Maurice Jarre: Lawrence of Arabia - Overture

      Even films get overtures sometimes. Lawrence of Arabia was composed by the then relatively unknown Maurice Jarre in just six weeks, after both William Walton and Malcolm Arnold had proved unavailable. Jarre won his first Oscar for the music which is now considered one of the greatest movie scores of all time.

    Facebook share X share

    How to Listen

    How to Listen to Classic FM

    Latest on Classic FM

    Everything you need to know about German film composer, Hans Zimmer.

    Inside Hans Zimmer’s greatest film scores, family, and awards so far

    Zimmer

    Tamar Greene sings to his baby

    Baby duets with Broadway star dad in video that’s bringing people to tears

    Videos

    The most memorable times classical music featured in the hit cartoon ‘Bluey’

    Bluey soundtrack: what are all the pieces of classical music used in the TV show?

    Discover Music

    Yuja Wang is one of the greatest pianists of the 21st century.

    Who is Yuja Wang, and what makes her so good at the piano?

    Yuja Wang

    Maxim Vengerov, Lise Davidsen, Yo-Yo Ma: among today’s leading classical artists

    The 30 greatest classical musicians performing today

    Discover Music

    A depiction of Jesus holding a lamb

    What are the lyrics to ‘The Lord is my Shepherd’ and who wrote the hymn?

    Discover Music

    Whitney Houston and Luciano Pavarotti stunned crowds with an opera duet.

    When Whitney Houston surprised the world with an extraordinary Verdi aria… with Luciano Pavarotti

    Luciano Pavarotti

    Royal Swedish Opera cancels all performances after tragic accident

    Royal Swedish Opera cancels all performances as stage technician tragically dies after fall

    Alexander Armstrong embarks on a Musical Voyage challenge for Global’s Make Some Noise

    Alexander Armstrong embarks on a Musical Voyage charity challenge for Global’s Make Some Noise!

    This week’s on-air highlights – including Album of the Week and Drive Discovery.

    This week’s Classic FM radio highlights – including Album of the Week and Drive Discovery

    Back to top

    Also on Classic FM

    • Listen to Global Player
    • Alexander Armstrong on Classic FM
    • Google Doodle
    • Quizzes
    • Mozart
    • Debussy
    • Music theory
    • Instruments
    • Classic FM Live
    • Brahms
    • Vivaldi
    • Bach
    • LBC News
    • Tchaikovsky
    • Chopin
    • Andrea Bocelli
    • Florence Price
    • Beethoven
    • Best classical music
    • Classic FM Requests
    • Best pianists
    • Harry Potter music
    • Saturday Night at the Movies
    • Star Wars soundtrack
    • Composer or pasta
    • Music for Studying
    • Best violinists
    • Classical music tearjerkers
    • Relaxing classical

    Useful Links

    • Contact Us
    • Help
    • How To Listen
    • About Classic FM
    • Company Details
    • Cookies
    • Privacy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Advertise
    • Global Jobs

    Download the app

    Get it on the app store Get it on Google Play

    Follow Us

    Follow Classic FM on X
    Follow Classic FM on Facebook
    Follow Classic FM on Instagram
    Follow Classic FM on Youtube
    © Global 2023
    30 Leicester Square, London, WC2H 7LA
    Privacy Manager