# What is your favourite Beethoven overture?



## beetzart (Dec 30, 2009)

If you like Beethoven's overtures of course. Mine is the Coriolan because I don't think there is any let up in the dark mood throughout; it is literally Beethoven pounding away in a neverending minor key rant (for want of a better word, maybe nightmare might describe it better). But I love it!


----------



## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

The Creatures of Prometheus.


----------



## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Egmont Overture...................


----------



## Joe B (Aug 10, 2017)

Pugg said:


> Egmont Overture...................


:clap::clap::clap:


----------



## Animal the Drummer (Nov 14, 2015)

Pugg said:


> Egmont Overture...................


I'd expect a Dutchman to say that. 

My favourite is the "Fidelio" overture. I love the nobility of that first tune at the beginning.


----------



## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

Coriolanus, also King Stephen.


----------



## Guest (Nov 10, 2017)

Egmont the Overture and what comes after.....


----------



## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Beethoven wrote so many great overtures...it seemed to be a form at which he naturally excelled....for me, the greatest, and my favorite, is Leonore #3....a thrilling, demanding work that features Beethoven at his most passionate and gripping...this is still an orchestral tour de force....audition licks for many instruments....all strings, flute, bassoon, trumpet....the great tension-release sequence at the allegro is one of music's greatest eruptions, an avalanche of passion and energy that flows all the way to the first trumpet call....the recap into the finale is more of the same....great piece....one of the greatest orchestral works.


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Probably Egmont or Lenore III - but unlike other posters, I don't consider his overtures particularly appealing works.


----------



## KirbyH (Jun 30, 2015)

I'll second and third everything here but... the Leonore No. 3. So arresting and satisfying to listen to.


----------



## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

A good word for the Consecration of the House, my wife's favorite overture. Fat and happy Handelism!


----------



## bharbeke (Mar 4, 2013)

Fidelio and Egmont for me!


----------



## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Egmont and Leonore 3


----------



## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

Leonore 3 and Consecration of the House.

Corilolan is nice, but if I play it back-to-back with Brahms' Tragic, I can never quite remember which is which.


----------



## MusicSybarite (Aug 17, 2017)

Coriolan would come first, then Egmont, The Consecration of the House, Zur Namensfeier, Leonore III, and Fidelio.


----------



## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Fidelio. Probably because it was my first exposure to Beethoven, in a school band arrangement, and it was fun to play.


----------



## T Son of Ander (Aug 25, 2015)

Egmont, no question. Coriolanus and Fidelio not too far behind.


----------



## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

Egmont or Coriolan. Probably Egmont if I had to choose.


----------



## Holden4th (Jul 14, 2017)

Coriolan followed by Egmont.


----------



## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Good to see the Egmont doing so well. :angel:


----------



## Guest (Nov 11, 2017)

As an adopted Cumbrian, the Egremont Overture of course!

Oh. Just a minute....


----------



## jdec (Mar 23, 2013)

It used to be Egmont and Coriolan a long time ago in my beginnings in classical music. Later on it was *Leonore III.* The Consecration of the House is another favorite of mine too.


----------



## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

Leonore 3 - no contest.


----------



## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Leonore 3 for me too.


----------



## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Egmont, Fidelio and Coriolan are all great overtures....but Leonore 3 is the greatest for scope, complexity and dramatic sweep....one of the greatest orchestral works


----------



## eugeneonagain (May 14, 2017)

Coriolan - the Bruno Walter with Columbia SO one.

In truth though - and in agreement with Art Rock - Beethoven's Overture's aren't his best work. The Marriage of Figaro overture overshadows them all.


----------



## beetzart (Dec 30, 2009)

eugeneonagain said:


> Coriolan - the Bruno Walter with Columbia SO one.
> 
> In truth though - and in agreement with Art Rock - Beethoven's Overture's aren't his best work. The Marriage of Figaro overture overshadows them all.


Really? That is one hell of a claim. The Marriage of Figaro is a very enjoyable and uplifting overture but is certainly doesn't overshadow every Beethoven overture. I suggest listening to Beethoven's overtures again. But that is just my opinion of course.


----------



## eugeneonagain (May 14, 2017)

beetzart said:


> Really? That is one hell of a claim. The Marriage of Figaro is a very enjoyable and uplifting overture but is certainly doesn't overshadow every Beethoven overture. I suggest listening to Beethoven's overtures again. But that is just my opinion of course.


I know Beethoven's overtures well enough. Before answering I re-listened to the _Ruins of Athens_ and _Consecration of the House_ overtures to be more certain. The latter sounds more like Handel mixed with elements of Mozart and I can go to the source if I want to hear that; it's nice, but just not very original.


----------



## beetzart (Dec 30, 2009)

eugeneonagain said:


> I know Beethoven's overtures well enough. Before answering I re-listened to the _Ruins of Athens_ and _Consecration of the House_ overtures to be more certain. The latter sounds more like Handel mixed with elements of Mozart and I can go to the source if I want to hear that; it's nice, but just not very original.


That's only two though. I would say Egmont and Coriolan are better than MoF.


----------



## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

beetzart said:


> Really? That is one hell of a claim. The Marriage of Figaro is a very enjoyable and uplifting overture but is certainly doesn't overshadow every Beethoven overture. I suggest listening to Beethoven's overtures again. But that is just my opinion of course.


Mozart was a better composer of opera overtures in my view - and the figaro overture possesses all the charm, style and fizz that is perfection itself for the opera that follows. Mozart knew exactly what was required and produced it.

I think Leonore 3 is one of the great orch works of all time - but it's not a better opera overture than most of Mozart's major ones.


----------



## DaveM (Jun 29, 2015)

eugeneonagain said:


> I know Beethoven's overtures well enough. Before answering I re-listened to the _Ruins of Athens_ and _Consecration of the House_ overtures to be more certain. The latter sounds more like Handel mixed with elements of Mozart and I can go to the source if I want to hear that; it's nice, but just not very original.


I'm not getting the Handel part. I understand that Handel did things like Zadok the Priest, but isn't the opening of Consecration simply typical of any regal march such as Zadok rather than being a lift from Handel?


----------



## arnerich (Aug 19, 2016)

It's not Beethoven's best but the King Stephen Overture is a fun piece.


----------



## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

I'm going to agree with Art Music here. I find the overtures, while great, to be of lesser importance for me than many of Beethoven's other works. But if I had to choose, I'd go with King Steven. It seems to look forward toward Rossini a bit.


----------



## CypressWillow (Apr 2, 2013)

I like them all. _Coriolan_ always seems to evoke the most awe in me; it's like Beethoven is saying "This is important, I want you to listen."


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Weston said:


> I'm going to agree with Art Music here. I find the overtures, while great, to be of lesser importance for me than many of Beethoven's other works. But if I had to choose, I'd go with King Steven. It seems to look forward toward Rossini a bit.


Why do people keep confusing me with ArtMusic? Our tastes are about as far apart as you can get.


----------



## GraemeG (Jun 30, 2009)

The amazing thing about King Stephan is that it has the Ode to Joy tune, up tempo but barely disguised, sitting right in the middle of it. That's how to try your melodies out - give em a dry run first.
Always liked Egmont; I tend to regard Leonore III as a tone poem.
Graeme


----------



## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

GraemeG said:


> ....I tend to regard Leonore III as a tone poem.
> Graeme


I know what you mean....Brahms Tragic, and Academic Fest are in the same category...very substantial...some Wagner as well-Meistersinger I, Parsifal....


----------



## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

Art Rock said:


> Why do people keep confusing me with ArtMusic? Our tastes are about as far apart as you can get.


Sorry. The name, and now the avatar too is similar.


----------



## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

I think everything cited here is exceptional but would claim my favorite to be the more rarely played Namensfeier or Name-Day overture Op. 115:


----------



## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

larold said:


> I think everything cited here is exceptional but would claim my favorite to be the more rarely played Namensfeier or Name-Day overture Op. 115:





> Not many orchestras play the piece regularly today.


I think that is the whole " problem ".
I admit, I never even knew it exist till now, so thank you.


----------



## Brahmsian Colors (Sep 16, 2016)

.....Leonore No. 3


----------



## nikon (Nov 16, 2017)

Coriolan & Leonore III


----------

