# Top 5 Favorite Overtures?



## Posie (Aug 18, 2013)

Though the overtures are orchestral pieces, I believe this is a fitting topic.

My personal favorites (for now) in no particular order:

die Zauberflӧte

Le nozze di Figaro

La traviata

Il barbiere di Siviglia

die Walküre (Vorspiel) :devil: I'm listening to it now.


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

Nozze
Seville
Willam Tell
Dutchman
La Scala di Seta


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## deggial (Jan 20, 2013)

these are the overtures I currently have on my phone:

Die Entfuhrung (ringtone)
I Capuleti e i Montecchi (I love how chipper it is and how little it matches the proceedings; really good in the morning)
La pietra del paragone/Tancredi (gotta love Rossini for recycling the overture from a comedy for an opera seria!)
Der Schauspieldirektor (unsurprisingly, another chipper one)
La clemenza (this one sounds like the theme music to an 18th century version of Murder She Wrote)

this being said, I like most Mozart and Rossini overtures plus I actually rather like the Tannhauser one.


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

Genoveva - Schumann
Tragic - Brahms
Hebrides - Mendelssohn
Manfred - Schumann
School for Scandal - Barber

If we're limiting it to Opera overtures only:

Genoveva - Schumann
Maskerade - Nielsen
Candide - Bernstein
Flying Dutchman - Wagner
William Tell - Rossini


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## Kleinzeit (May 15, 2013)

Dunno from top, but lately I've been taken with Weber's Der Freischütz Overture. 
The whole opera, really.


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## JCarmel (Feb 3, 2013)

Die Zauberflote

Norma

Prince Igor

Easter Festival Overture

La Scala di Seta


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## JCarmel (Feb 3, 2013)

The other half of my split-personality_ loves_

Coriolan

Ruy Blas

ATHALIA...Yeah!!!!!!!!...as conducted by Claus Peter Flor/Bamberg Symphony please!

Calm Sea & Prosperous Voyage

Tragic Overture

& as it's not Classical & therefore only counts a half?!!....


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

As of now, I'd say:

_Don Giovanni
Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg
The Flying Dutchman
L'Italiana in Algeri
Norma_

Also, Verdi's _I Masnadieri_ has a prelude that is both unusual and beautiful. I recently heard it on the famous Karajan "Verdi overtures" recording and was amazed by it! I don't know if it's a top-favorite of mine, but it's great, and I'd encourage everyone here to check it out.

And the prelude to _Rigoletto_ has always been a favorite among preludes, for its drama and its succinctness.


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## JCarmel (Feb 3, 2013)

I agree re the Rigoletto, Bellinilover....but I'm not at all familiar with I Masnadieri & will check that one out. Ta for the tip!
But when is a Prelude not an Overture &/or vice versa? Your Wisdom on that one, please?!


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## Winterreisender (Jul 13, 2013)

Der Meistersinger (although all Wagner overtures are excellent
Die Zauberflöte
William Tell
Fidelio (although Leonore #3 is probably even better)
Non-operatic overture: Berlioz Roman Carnaval


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

JCarmel said:


> But when is a Prelude not an Overture &/or vice versa?


I'd like to know the difference as well but these are my overtures/preludes

1. La forza del destino
2. Simon Boccanegra
3. Acis & Galatea
4. Lucia di Lammermoor
5. Don Giovanni


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

Il Pirata and Der Freischutz are good ones too.


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## Xavier (Jun 7, 2012)

Each of the 3 preludes from Pfitzner's _Palestrina_

Fantastic music that is worth anyone's time.


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

JCarmel said:


> I agree re the Rigoletto, Bellinilover....but I'm not at all familiar with I Masnadieri & will check that one out. Ta for the tip!
> But when is a Prelude not an Overture &/or vice versa? Your Wisdom on that one, please?!


As I understand it, an overture is both longer than a prelude and contains more development of themes.


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## Revenant (Aug 27, 2013)

Rheingold _(136 bars in straight E-flat major to kick off the first of four long evenings! What's not to love?)_
La Forza del Destino _(That fate chord is a chill thumbing for a ride on someone's spine)_
Nozze di Figaro
Zauberflöte
Der Fliegende Holländer


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## kelseythepterodactyl (Sep 5, 2013)

La Nozze di Figaro - The excitement is almost tangible!
Die Fledermaus - Brings back memories of the second operatic production I ever attended.
Das Rheingold - Pure magic.
Guillame Tell - I haven't even seen the opera, but I already love it.
Prodaná Nevěsta - Full of a sense of adventure!


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Mozart's Figaro, Don G, Cosi and Flute all have stunning overtures.
So does Carmen.
The prelude to Rigoletto is a mini- masterpiece. 
And what about the Flying Dutchman - possibly Wagner's best


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## Xavier (Jun 7, 2012)

> And what about the Flying Dutchman - possibly Wagner's best




The first time I've heard anyone say this.


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

kelseythepterodactyl said:


> La Nozze di Figaro - The excitement is almost tangible!
> Die Fledermaus - Brings back memories of the second operatic production I ever attended.
> Das Rheingold - Pure magic.
> *Guillame Tell - I haven't even seen the opera, but I already love it.*
> Prodaná Nevěsta - Full of a sense of adventure!


You have to see or hear it. the music is amazing. get the Gardelli recording, PLEASE.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Cosi von tutti
Don Giovanni
Meistersinger
Fidelio
Il Turco in Italia


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## LouisMasterMusic (Aug 28, 2013)

Die Zauberflote

Nabucco

Don Giovanni

Die Fledermaus (really an operetta, sorry!)

La Traviata

That's how the list looks now!


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## TxllxT (Mar 2, 2011)

Rienzi (crazy-over-the-top-stuff)
Khovanshchina
Pique Dame
Don Giovanni
Rheingold


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## Dongiovanni (Jul 30, 2012)

No particular order, impossible to choose.
Don Giovanni
Nozze di Figaro
Magic Flute
Tristan and Isolde
Forza del Destino


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

I'd just like to add that I love the overture to MESSIAH, though of course it's not an opera.


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## JCarmel (Feb 3, 2013)

Couldn't agree more, Bellinilover......Handel was just a great writer of sing-able tunes.


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## MAuer (Feb 6, 2011)

Fidelio (well, of course)
Die Zauberflöte
Le Nozze di Figaro
Il Barbiere di Siviglia (even if I think of Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny every time I hear it)
La Traviata


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## mchriste (Aug 16, 2013)

In order:

1. *Guillaume Tell*
2.* Tristan und Isolde*
3. *Don Giovanni*
4. *La Traviata*
5. *Le Nozze di Figaro*

Honorable mentions I give to *Nabucco* (sic!), *Tannhäuser*, *Rigoletto*, *Der Freischütz*, *L'Italiana in Algeri* and *La Fille du Régiment*.

*Rheingold* is "interesting" but a great overture? Nah. Can't get very excited about *Fidelio*, and *Die Zauberflöte* reminds me a bit of Don Giovanni (in much less powerful).

Unfortunately I LOATHE the overture to *Carmen*. 
Maybe because it's been over-over-overplayed?

And finally, while there's no overture I adore the entire "prologue" of *Il Trovatore*, ending with the alert sounding! Did Verdi want to make sure people would be paying attention to his opera? :lol:


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## Yashin (Jul 22, 2011)

Great thread -so hard to choose 5!

Mine would be:

Don Giovanni
Le Nozze
Norma
La Cenerentola
Il Barbiere

But then what do i do with - La Forza, Tristan, Nabucco,Die Entfuhrung and Parsifal?


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## MimiPinson (Jan 2, 2015)

1. La traviata
2. Lohengrin
3. Norma
4. Le nozze di Figaro 
5. Halka (by Moniuszko)


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## sabrina (Apr 26, 2011)

In no particular order, though Il barbiere is high in the sky...

Il Barbiere di Siviglia
Guillaume Tell
La Traviata
Rigoletto
La cenerentola
Don Giovanni
Coriolan...no opera, though


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## Phu Nguyen (Jan 3, 2015)

Anyone forgot Carmen's overture???


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## DonAlfonso (Oct 4, 2014)

As an opera goer I find that overly long overtures tend to try my patience rather than prepare me for what's to follow. 
That's why all my favourite overtures seem to be from Mozart's operas. In his typical 4-5 minute overtures he could set up the action to follow like no one else. So my faves
Don Giovanni
Die Zauberflöte
Le Nozze di Figaro
Cosi Fan Tutte

I also like the overture to Rigoletto for its drama (and brevity) though no one is going to leave the theatre humming the tune.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

I see no point in distinguishing overtures from preludes. Whatever you call it, the orchestra plays it and then the curtain goes up.

Lohengrin
Das Rheingold
Tristan und Isolde
Die Meistersinger
Parsifal

Each one of them the gateway to a different world. Amazing, amazing.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

MimiPinson said:


> 1. La traviata
> 2. Lohengrin
> 3. Norma
> 4. Le nozze di Figaro
> 5. *Halka* (by Moniuszko)


Great choice! Not often I see reference to Moniuszko's works on here. Love _Halka_ and _Straszny dwór_. 

Welcome to the forum!


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## Il_Penseroso (Nov 20, 2010)

1.Alceste (Weingartner's Version) (Gluck)

2.Il barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini)

3.I vespri siciliani (Verdi)

4.Rienzi (Wagner)

5.Le roi d'Ys (Lalo)

_Alternative overture favorites: _

1.Der Freischütz (Weber)

2.Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor (The Merry Widows of Windsor) (Nicolai)

3.Nabucco (Verdi)

4.Ruslan and Lyudmila (Glinka)

5.Tsarskaya nevesta (Tsar's Bride) (Rimsky-Korsakov)

_More alternatives:_ 

1.Iphigénie en Aulide (Gluck) (Wagner's Version)

2.Guillaume Tell (Rossini)

_Prelude favorites:_

1.Un ballo in maschera (Verdi)

2.Khovanshchina (Mussorgsky, Rimsky Korsakov's Orchestration)

P.S. Operettas not included


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Of course there are many excellent overtures but here are masterly scene setters:

Bizet Carmen - incredible the way the curse motif interrupts the overture

Verdi Rigoletto - sums up the whole traded

Wagner - Tristan 

Wagner - Parsifal 

Mozart - Don Giovanni - remarkable for having been written the night before.

I'd also include Beethoven's Leonore 3 only the composer decided it was too much of a good thing!


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Only two come immediately to mind:

Mozart ~ Le Nozze di Figaro

Mendelssohn ~ A Midsummer Night's Dream


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## aajj (Dec 28, 2014)

Mozart – Figaro, The Magic Flute, Don Giovanni
Bernstein – Candide
Rossini – Barber of Seville

Stretching elsewhere:
Berlioz – Le Corsiare
Barber – School for Scandal
Brahms – Tragic & Academic Festival
Mendelssohn – Midsummer Night's Dream


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## MoonlightSonata (Mar 29, 2014)

Bizet - Carmen
Mozart - Marriage of Figaro
Rossini - William Tell
Mendelssohn - Midsummer Night's Dream
Beethoven - Leonore


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## Loge (Oct 30, 2014)

Wagner - Tannhauser
Sullivan - Mikado
Rossini - The Thieving Magpie
Tchaikovsky - 1812
Wagner - Parsifal


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## Cavaradossi (Aug 2, 2012)

Bellinilover said:


> I'd just like to add that I love the overture to MESSIAH, though of course it's not an opera.


Isn't it?


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## Gaspard de la Nuit (Oct 20, 2014)

1. Meistersinger Prelude
2. Die Walkure act 2 prelude
3. Siegfried act 3 prelude

Those two Ring ones aren't heard that frequently and IMO they're his best, most dramatic ones.

Not sure what else.


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

Il_Penseroso said:


> 1.
> 2.Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor (The Merry Widows of Windsor) (Nicolai)


You mean wives.

I have been thinking a lot of the the five favourite ouvertures but I can´t really decide. I know for one and that is that Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg comes first.


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## Ivansen (Aug 8, 2014)

Tannhauser
Barbiere
Nozze
Thieving magpie
Flying Duthchman


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## Meyerbeer Smith (Mar 25, 2016)

Zampa
Rosmonda d'Inghilterra
Prince Igor
Poet and Peasant
La dame blanche 
The Tsar's Bride
Benvenuto Cellini 
Das Liebesverbot
La gazza ladra
Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor 

A lot of great French overtures : Pardon de Ploermel (Dinorah); Sigurd; Massenet's Roi de Lahore, Le Cid and Roma. Auber's are good, esp. Le cheval de bronze and La Muette de Portici. 

Fidelio also good.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

SimonTemplar said:


> Zampa
> Rosmonda d'Inghilterra
> Prince Igor
> Poet and Peasant
> ...


That's twice the numbers ask for


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Top 5 favorite overtures:

Mefistofele
Parsifal
Don Carlo starting without the Fontainebleu version
Tosca
Prelude of Tristan & Isolde (runner-up: La Traviata)


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## Meyerbeer Smith (Mar 25, 2016)

And I forgot L'etoile du nord!


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

SimonTemplar said:


> And I forgot L'etoile du nord!


But, the final votes has to be cast, only five :lol:


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## Meyerbeer Smith (Mar 25, 2016)

Pugg said:


> But, the final votes has to be cast, only five :lol:


OK!

Ruslan
Cellini
Zampa
Rosmonda
Dame blanche

(But could change!)


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## Amara (Jan 12, 2012)

Roberto Devereux. It's the first time I've listened to an overture repeatedly, independently of the rest of the opera.


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## Meyerbeer Smith (Mar 25, 2016)

Weirdly the Uruguayan anthem uses music from, of all things, Lucrezia Borgia!

My favorite is:





But check this out!


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## dgee (Sep 26, 2013)

These deserve a mention:














Kept secret so people will open them!

Tannhauser is silly but good
Cosi fan tutte is silly and good


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## Meyerbeer Smith (Mar 25, 2016)

dgee said:


> These deserve a mention:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I like your choices! And how could I have forgotten the third one?


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## John Kiunke (Mar 25, 2016)

1. Die Zauberflote
2. Die Zauberflote
3. Don Giovanni
4. Die Zauberflote
5. Le nozze di Figaro


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

John Kiunke said:


> 1. Die Zauberflote
> 2. Die Zauberflote
> 3. Don Giovanni
> 4. Die Zauberflote
> 5. Le nozze di Figaro


You must like Die Zauberflote a lot.


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## TwoFlutesOneTrumpet (Aug 31, 2011)

Fidelio
Russlan and Ludmilla
The Marriage of Figaro
Tannhäuser
The Abduction from the Seraglio


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## howlingfantods (Jul 27, 2015)

Parsifal
Rheingold
Meistersinger
Lohengrin
Tristan und Isolde


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## Buoso (Aug 10, 2016)

My biases will be exposed here  
In order favourite to least favourite of favourites
1. Il Tabarro (the 2 to 3 minutes opening prelude is ridiculously beautiful) 
2. Un Ballo In Maschera (Not the usual Verdi choice but one of my favourite of his preludes/overtures)
3. La Traviata (Need more be said?)
4. Rigoletto 
5.All of the half preludes that Puccini's other operas begin with these are often short 20 or 30 second mini preludes (Butterfly La Boheme, Tosca etc) or longer 2 to 3 minute ones with only minor vocalizations (La Fanciulla and Suor Angelica) Either way a mention must be made as if Puccini knew how to do one thing it was start of an opera fantastically without fail (excepting Edgar because its Edgar...)


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## ma7730 (Jun 8, 2015)

(Also including preludes):
1. Prelude to _Tristan und Isolde_
2. Prelude to _La Traviata_
3. _L'Italiana in Algeri_ Overture
4. Prelude to _Rigoletto_
5. Prelude to _La Fanciulla del West_


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## gellio (Nov 7, 2013)

Le nozze di Figaro
Don Giovanni
Fidelio
Khovanshchina
The Tsar's Bride


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## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

Favorite overtures:

1. Mozart--Don Giovanni
2. Mozart--Magic Flute
3. Beethoven--Fidelio
4. Bizet--Carmen
5. Wagner--Tristan und Isolde (I know it's a prelude rather than an overture, but several others have listed it in this thread...)


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Beethoven Leonore Overture No. 3

Mozart Marriage of Figaro

Mozart Cosí fan tutte

Wagner Parsifal (listed as a prelude)

Wagner Die Meistersinger


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Verdi: La Traviata.
Mozart: Cosi fan Tutte.
Verdi : La Forza del Destino 
Beethoven: Fidelio.
Rossini; All of them.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

1. Beethoven, Fidelio

2. Rossini, Barber of Seville

3. Donizetti, Maria Stuarda

4. Donizetti, Adelia

5. Wagner, Flying Dutchman


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

Figaro
Magic Flute
Leonore No. 3
Midsummer Nght's Dream
Hansel und Gretel


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

^ I totally forgot about Midsummer Night's Dream and only focused on opera. Great choice!


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

As setting the scene for an opera I think Mozart's are the best - shortish and apt - quality music. 
Some overtures are far too long but stunning pieces of music - notably

forza del destino
der freishutz
leonore 3
william tell

so my 5 fave mozart overtures in this order

magic flute
nozze
cosi
don giovanni
tito


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## Morton (Nov 13, 2016)

Tristan und Isolde
Die Meistersinger 
Parsifal 
Die Walkure (Act one) short but sets the scene perfectly.
Hansel und Gretel
Five is a really tough, I would really like to add at least one Mozart, probably Figaro, but what to leave out?
The first three are in no particular order.


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## Azol (Jan 25, 2015)

In no particular order:

La Gazza Ladra
Khovanshchina
Lohengrin
Norma
Tannhäuser

Honorable mention: Semiramide, La Cenerentola, Elisabetta/Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Falstaff (Balfe), Roberto Devereux, Parsifal, Der fliegende Holländer.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Reading Azol post I add: Norma and Roberto Devereux.


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## itarbrt (Feb 9, 2017)

Verdi + la forza del destino . Weber + der freischutz . Mozart + le nozze di figaro . Handel + alcina . Donizetti + elisir d'amore .


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

itarbrt said:


> Verdi + la forza del destino . Weber + der freischutz . Mozart + le nozze di figaro . Handel + alcina . Donizetti + elisir d'amore .


That's a nice bunch.:tiphat:


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## gellio (Nov 7, 2013)

Le nozze di Figaro
Don Giovanni
Leonore no. 3
William Tell
Attila


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## doctorjohn (Mar 5, 2017)

Lohengrin acts 1, 2 and 3


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

doctorjohn said:


> Lohengrin acts 1, 2 and 3


Nothing else...you are easy to please....


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