MINIATURE OVERTURE
Harold Blumenfeld
About this work:
MINIATURE OVERTURE, early work, revised 2005. It is actually zippy 5-minute overture to opera "AMPHITRYON 4" - composed by Blumenfeld's Hindemythic earlier self, revised 2005.
Hardly recognizable as coming from pen of composer of new works "Seasons in Hell", "Vers Sataniques", "Borgia Infami" of 1995-2007. But jolly Overture enjoys composer's full endorsement.
MINIATURE OVERTURE saw three dozen performances by St Louis Symphony under four conductors, including de Carvalho, Remoortel) back in Sixties.
Orchestra: 2, 1, 2, 1; 3 horns; celesta, harp, 2 perc, timp, strings.
****REVIEW:
"Harold Blumenfeld's short MINIATURE OVERTURE, with its pungent tang, is a busy, economically written, lean-textured piece that is immediately appealing." -Paul Tang, St Louis Post-Dispatch...
>Former Pub MMB Music, now closed. Published by COMPOSER: blumenf@wustl.edu
Score [2005 revision] $50...
Overture gives fore-taste of some of more scherzoid elements of opera. Blumenfeld has long since left behind its perky neo-classic, quasi-romantic language, but now - decades later - composer smilingly approves the piece, just as he does the sheer fun, exuberant melodic outpourings of AMPHITRYON 4, Moliere-based opera which this Overture opens.
Version: 2005 Rev.
Year composed: 2005
Duration: 00:05:00
Ensemble type: Orchestra:Standard Orchestra
Instrumentation: 1 Piccolo, 1 Flute, 1 Oboe, 2 Clarinet, 1 Bassoon, 3 Horn in F, 1 Timpani, 2 Percussion (General), 1 Celesta, 24 Strings (General), 1 Harp
Instrumentation notes: "Miniature Overture" scoring : 2-1-2-1 / 3 horns / celesta, harp, timp, 2 perc; strings