Favorite Overture

[Horse Opera]

The board needs some more lively discussion!

So....what is everyone's favorite Overture? While as a whole I like Beethoven's the best, I'm finding that I can't go a day without listening to Wagner's Overture to Tannhauser. So I suppose that's mine! Eh!

-BW

[DaveTubaKing]

Poet and Peasent maybe

or Le Forza del Destino

Penederecki's Mini Overture

they're all a hoot. [:)]

Oooh! how exciting. with this post I become a Senior Member. What do I get? Teeshirt? badge? Mug? an extra 25% discount? or just the respect and admiration of the board.

If I Have a choice can I have a VSL mug

[hermitage59]

Tough question this.
So many to choose from.

1812 (The choral version)
Festive Overture (Shostakovich, and just for the fun of it)
The overture or prelude to Lohengrin (Wagner, wonderful start to an opera)

And i guess you could call the intro to Tristan and Isolde an overture, so that too.

I'll keep thinking.

Regards to you all from sunny Tallinn in Estonia! (For the next couple of days anyway)

Alex.

[rawmusic]

I love the overture to Crazy for You. Sorry to lower the tone! And, I don't know if it counts, but the prologue to West Side Story also really lights my fire, as does the rest of the musical.

[rawmusic]

Tuba Man! Congrats on your senior status! We should start organising social events for those of us who spend too much time on this forum! I just realised I am only a few posts off this. I am so excited! hahah!

[William]

I agree on Bernstein's West Side Story - a perfect overture. Beethoven's Lenore is another favorite.

[DanimalSnacks]

I've loved Beethoven's Overture to Egmont since I first heard it.

[dpcon]

Excellent mention of West Side Story. I wouldn't of thought of that but couldn't agree more. It's so great (and funky!)

Hindimith's Mathis Der Mahler is a wonderful overture in a modern idiom with it's Baroque counterpoint and bent linear melodies.

Schumann's Oberon is gorgeous.

[rawmusic]

I have the full score for WSS and I hope to find time soon to have a go at recreating some of my fave bits! Shame I don't have workable saxes - and I am not yet convinced by VSL saxophones. Having grown up with my Dad a pro saxist there is really nothing to cover it successfully yet. Particularly given that you need soprano, alto, tenor, baritone and bass sax to cover the parts! Perhaps I'll sequence the rest and get my Dad to play in the saxes!