Sunday Classics preview: Verdi shows us three ways to open an opera -- an "overture," a "prelude," and an "introduction"

At Berlin's outdoor Waldbühne, Marco Armiliato conducts the Orchestra of the Deutsche Opera Berlin in the Overture to Verdi's Nabucco, part of the Berlin Concert of July 7, 2006 (which featured soprano Anna Netrebko and tenors Plácido Domingo and Rolando Villazón as soloists).

by Ken

It will become clear on Sunday why we're dealing with these particular three Verdi operas together, but we can establish now that they represent seminal moments in the composer's three creative periods: "early" Nabucco, "middle" (Il Trovatore), and late (Aida). For now, though, we're going to consider them for the three very different ways they represent to start an opera.

FOR OPENERS, AN OVERTURE

In English usage an "overture" (which normally corresponds to the Italian sinfonia; yes, our "symphony" had its origins in the early Italian operatic overture) is a fully self-contained, free-standing piece, while a "prelude" (which normally corresponds to the Italian preludio) is a shorter piece meant to lead directly into the action. Full-scale overtures were common among Verdi's "early" Verdi operas, but there are two standouts: those to Nabucco (1842), Verdi's first successful opera, and Luisa Miller (1849).


TO CONTINUE ON WITH OUR OVERTURE, PRELUDE, AND
INTRODUCTION (PLUS BONUS PRELUDES), CLICK HERE

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