The word "overture" from French literally translates as "introduction". In music, this term refers to a small orchestral piece that is performed before a musical performance. This part is like a prelude to the main spectacle.
Overture Value
Overture is designed to open a major piece of music. In the modern interpretation, it is the beginning of the composition. Her task in the language of music is to acquaint the viewer with the future performance, to create the right atmosphere. The first seconds of music playing set the tone for all subsequent action on the stage. The overture can be very short or long. Sometimes it sounds longer than the main part of the opera. In this case, the overture can be performed as a separate piece of music.
There is a French and Italian overture. They differ in tempo of sound. For Italians, the introduction sounds fast, the middle part is played slowly, and the finale is gaining momentum again. The French have the opposite.
Some authors played overture passages from an opera that the public had yet to hear. Johann-Strauss Jr. and Richard Wagner used the trick of summarizing or announcing further action on a musical composition. Composers of the 19th century created concert overtures. These were completely independent compositions that were performed by a separate program. Berlioz, Shostakovich, Khachaturian, Glazunov and Mendelssohn experimented in this field. They wrote overtures for celebrations, holidays, receptions. Their creations were enthusiastically received by the public.
