The music on this Naxos release is far from familiar, and indeed, seven of the works are receiving their world premieres. Yet, in the 19th century, Auber was a celebrated composer, as shown by his commission for the sole non-operatic work here, the imposing Grande Ouverture pour l'Inauguration de l'Exposition à Londres, the Grand Overture for the Opening of the 1862 London World's Fair. Like its two predecessors in the series, this album includes not only operatic overtures but entr'actes. Auber was an impressively ...
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The music on this Naxos release is far from familiar, and indeed, seven of the works are receiving their world premieres. Yet, in the 19th century, Auber was a celebrated composer, as shown by his commission for the sole non-operatic work here, the imposing Grande Ouverture pour l'Inauguration de l'Exposition à Londres, the Grand Overture for the Opening of the 1862 London World's Fair. Like its two predecessors in the series, this album includes not only operatic overtures but entr'actes. Auber was an impressively consistent figure who wrote dozens of operas and rarely lost his touch; the dates of the music here range from 1828 (La Muette de Portici, the only one of these pieces that is often performed) to 1869 (Rêve d'amour), which had its premiere when Auber was 88. The music pulses with the barcarolle, the galop, and other popular styles of Auber's day, and if his tunes do not have quite the instantly memorable quality of Offenbach's best, the effortless variety of his structures is impressive. The...
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