While opera remains the most acquired of the classical music tastes, opera overtures are pretty easy to digest. Some opera overtures are known to many who don’t consider themselves to be classical ...

I've always had a soft spot for Gioacchino Rossini's overtures. Their slow introductions and sprightly melodies invariably lead to a big crescendo passage, in which Rossini repeats a motif several ...

Most opera buffs can whistle the overture to Rossini’s “Aureliano in Palmira,” even if they’ve never heard of the work, which is rarely performed. The opening run of this 1813 opera seria — tracing a ...

Just as there's more to William Telll than its overture, there's more to the overture than just the theme to the Lone Ranger. Here's the overture in its entirety, with Eugene Ormandy leading the ...