The other day I fished out a 2-CD set of Beethoven Overtures, conducted by Herbert von Karajan at the peak of his powers.
And I realized something very interesting: the nineteenth-century "concert overture" is a kind of poor relation in the modern classical music world. It's there, people hear of it, and occasionally one gets put on a concert program. But recordings are getting fewer in number.
In the 1800s, a concert frequently began with a concert overture. It was a chance for the audience to settle into their seats and develop focus on the music, and it had the advantage that latecomers (as big a problem then as now) wouldn't miss the main works on offer. These overtures were so popular that many composers wrote them in large numbers, and got them performed, too, more than once!
In the days of the LP, the concert overture was made to order to fill out the playing time of a record after a typical Romantic symphony lasting 30-40 minutes. Since the advent of the CD, with its longer playing time, it has often been possible to fit two complete symphonies onto a single disc, which means that the overture is no longer required.
So what is a concert overture? Like the overture to a play, opera, or ballet, it is a short orchestral work in a single movement. The title gives a clue to content. It may be associated with a particular piece of literature or folk talk. It may paint a descriptive picture of some kind. It may evoke some sort of generalized mood or emotion.
Beethoven wrote most of his overtures either for stage works or on commission. Most people who know music have heard that he actually completed three different overtures for his opera Leonora, before he substantially revised the work and composed a fourth overture when it was reissued as Fidelio. But how many people have heard all four of these works? They form the second disc of the set I've got here.
The real rarities are the last two tracks on CD 1. These in fact are the only two actual concert overtures Beethoven composed! The Namensfeier Overture ("Name Day") was composed originally as a piece for any occasion, including concert use. Later it was associated with the feast day of St. Francis, which was celebrated as the "name-day" of the Emperor Francis I. It's a piece with plenty of energy and good humour which certainly qualify it for that kind of occasion.
The other is a late Beethoven work, Die Weihe des Hauses, usually translated as "The Consecration of the House", although "Dedication" might perhaps be the more accurate English word. It was composed for the opening of a new theatre in Vienna, and displays a grand, celebratory character appropriate for such an event. This overture begins with a long introduction in the form of a grandiose slow march which then quickens to the main allegro tempo. Here, Beethoven uniquely introduces lengthy passages written in fugal manner, which reflect his recent studies of the scores of Handel and Bach. The composer said he was actually trying to compose a tribute to Handel.
In that light, it's worth quoting what Beethoven said about Handel's music (I'm doing this from memory, but I think I've got it right!):
"Handel is the unequalled master of all masters. Go to him and learn how to produce the grandest of effects by the simplest of means." Handel certainly does that, but so does Beethoven in this overture.
Karajan was, of course, one of the leading interpreters of Beethoven in the mid-twentieth century and these DGG recordings, made in 1965 and 1969, effectively capture all the diverse aspects of Beethoven's range of overtures.
By the way, what triggered this post was the rare opportunity to hear Die Weihe des Hauses performed live as music for a modern ballet at the National Ballet of Canada this week. To read about that one, go to my companion blog, largestagelive.blogspot.com
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