The word “overture” is literally translated from French 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 show.
The meaning of the overture
The overture is intended to open a major piece of music. In 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 the sound of the music set the tone for the 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 are French and Italian overtures. They differ in the pace of sound. For Italians, the introduction sounds fast, the middle part is played slowly, and the ending picks up the tempo again. For the French, the opposite is true.
Some authors played in the overture excerpts from an opera that the public was yet to hear. Johann-Strauss Jr. and Richard Wagner used the technique of summarizing or announcing the further action of a piece of music. 19th century composers created concert overtures. These were completely independent compositions, which were performed in 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.
Overture in contemporary art
Initially, the overture was a genre of symphonic music. With the advent of new types of art, musical introduction took its place in cinema, ballet, theater, oratorio. She creates a mood, prepares the viewer for the future action of not only musical works. The instrumental intro has taken its place in many genres.
The first overtures were written and played only so that the audience could calmly take their places in the hall. This tradition was changed by Mozart. He made the overture a full-fledged, significant part of the work.
Music on the credits is an integral part of any movie. It forms the emotional perception of the picture even before the plot begins. Music in the theater before the curtain opens helps the audience to focus on the stage. Music before the appearance of the speaker-orator attracts interest to the person, creates excitement at the moment of his appearance in front of the public. An overture in honor of some significant event gives it great importance and significance. In some cases, it can turn into the anthem of this event.