At just under eight (hectic) minutes, it fizzes and crackles like champagne with fireworks and is something of a cross between exuberant overture and concertino.
The instrumental music in the opera comprises two overtures, a pantomimic march, and several preludes and interludes to vocal numbers.
They were in desperate need of assistance and thus amenable to the overtures of central government.
A snub is defined as the absence of an expected overture.
Such transplantation from the pit to real stage music is very unusual indeed in the operatic repertory (excluding, of course, overtures and act preludes).
There was also a lot of suspicion about the progressive liberals' overture to the socialist party.
The emphasis on whole tones colours the harmonic and melodic content of the overture, even in the more overtly chromatic passages.
Despite a throwaway ending that does not really come off, as a festive concert overture this is, in modern political parlance, thoroughly 'fit for purpose'.
