Favorite Beethoven Overtures

[TJJ]

Before I begin,I would like to thank Charles for sharing the link to this site. You seem to have a well informed group.I hope to post when time permits.

I think most people who admire Beethoven enjoy his symphonies. However,in the last 6 months I made purchase of an album of Beethoven Overtures by George Szell and the Cleveland Symphony. This stuff really knocked me out. Do you guys have any particular fav's amongst his Overtures and favorite recordings you care to mention?

[Chris]

Welcome to the site.

Yes, Beethoven had wonderful overtures. I like Szell/Cleveland too. My favorite overature is probably the overature to Fidelio. Really, the whole opera is wonderful.

[chopithoven]

Egmont of course. The final triumphal bars are one of the most jubilant of Bs expressions, together with the Baccanale in the Ninth's Finale.

[lysander]

Beethoven's Wonderful "Egmont Overture" is taken from Goethe's play about the hero in the 16th century struggle of Flanders to gain independence from Spain.
I especially love the exciting final movement which seems to emerge from a mysterious dark realm, then soars triumphantly on rising scales in the brilliant tones of trumpets.
It is reminiscent of the 5th Symphony in that it has the same elemental struggle.

[Peter]

I am particularly fond of 'Coriolan' and 'The Consecration of the House' which is so uplifting.

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'Man know thyself'

[Andrea]

I have two favorite Beethoven overtures. The first one is the overture to Egmont. In 1821, Marianne von Willemer wrote to Goethe about this music, "The selfsame spirit that breathes in your words gives life to his music." And what life that is! Beethoven himself wrote to Goethe saying "This glorious Egmont, which, with as much warmth as ever I have read it, I have once more thought through you, felt and rendered in music." If you ever get the chance to hear the rest of the music that Beethoven composed for Egmont, do so for it is wonderful.

My second favorite overture is "Zur Namensfeier" (Nameday)in C, Op. 115. This is a seldom heard overture but one of my favs.
"The overture we know as Namenfeier was sketched in 1809, considered for use with a choral setting of Schiller's ode An die Freude in 1811-12, reworked in Sept. 1814, with a view to performance on the Emperor's nameday (4 Oct.), but not completed until March 1815. It was first performed on Christmas Day that year at a hospital benefit concert in the Redoutensaal in Vienna. The main body of the overture (preceded by a solemn slow introduction) is in a swinging 6/8 metre, which accounts for the fact that the piece was later nicknamed, much to Beethoven's annoyance, 'La Chasse'."
-Robin Golding.

[Sorrano]

Originally posted by TJJ:
Before I begin,I would like to thank Charles for sharing the link to this site. You seem to have a well informed group.I hope to post when time permits.

I think most people who admire Beethoven enjoy his symphonies. However,in the last 6 months I made purchase of an album of Beethoven Overtures by George Szell and the Cleveland Symphony. This stuff really knocked me out. Do you guys have any particular fav's amongst his Overtures and favorite recordings you care to mention?

Welcome to the forum! This is the most difficult question I've had this week! I can think of three that stand out to me, Fidelio Overture, Egmont, and COnsecration of the House. But they are all equally good in my opinion.

[Joy]

I have to say at least three. 'The Consecration of the House' (1822); 'Name Day'(1814-1815); and I have to agree with Chris 'Fidelio's Overture' is most grand!
I have a CD 'Overtures Vol. 2' which includes all of these mentioned, except Fidelio, by the Nicolaus Esterhazy Sinfonia with Bela Drahos, Cond. I also enjoy 'The Ritterballet', uh oh, that's four! I'd better stop now!

Joy

[TJJ]

Wow! Thanks for the many responses. Fidelio,Egmont,Coriolan,King Stephen all rank highly with me. This is without a doubt one of the better collections that I have purchased over the last 2 years. Still a relative newbie,I would recommend this to anyone new to classical music along with the Rossini Overtures with Fritz Reiner and the Chicago Symphony another wonderful collection.

[Rod]

I'm glad so many people have referred to 'Consecration of the House', I think for a long time is was almost unheard of. If anyone would like to hear the short Handel piece upon which the main body of the work is based (thought Beethoven intermingles it with themes of his own) I could upload it here. 'Namensfeier' is also good entertainment, if it too was ever performed!

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[This message has been edited by Rod (edited March 07, 2003).]

[Peter]

Originally posted by Rod:
I'm glad so many people have referred to 'Consecration of the House', I think for a long time is was almost unheard of. If anyone would like to hear the short Handel piece upon which the main body of the work is based (thought Beethoven intermingles it with themes of his own) I could upload it here.

That would be interesting to hear.

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'Man know thyself'

[Sorrano]

Originally posted by Rod:
I'm glad so many people have referred to 'Consecration of the House', I think for a long time is was almost unheard of. If anyone would like to hear the short Handel piece upon which the main body of the work is based (thought Beethoven intermingles it with themes of his own) I could upload it here. 'Namensfeier' is also good entertainment, if it too was ever performed!

That would be a great thing to hear! I still remember the first time I heard the Consecration of the House Overture and how it made me feel. The rest of the incidental music (at least the chorus that follows) is pretty good, too.

[TJJ]

So many of you mention "Consecration of the House"which unfortunately is not on the present disc(Szell)I own. Obviously I have to seek this one out. What I'll do in the meantime is journey over to Naxos and see if they have the recording available and if I can,listen to the performance. Thanks for the mention.

[Joy]

Originally posted by TJJ:
So many of you mention "Consecration of the House"which unfortunately is not on the present disc(Szell)I own. Obviously I have to seek this one out. What I'll do in the meantime is journey over to Naxos and see if they have the recording available and if I can,listen to the performance. Thanks for the mention.

The CD I mentioned above is a good recording of these, if you're interested in looking for it while there.

Joy

[TJJ]

Thank you Joy. At this moment I'm listening to the disc you mentioned. Five out of the eight tracks I presently do not own. It's a slam dunk. Next time I jouney out I'll look for this recording. Thanks again.