Auber Overtures Vol. 7 – More Than Just Openers
By Ralph Graves
I like Naxos’ willingness to explore new repertoire. One of the things I like about the Naxos label is their willingness to explore new repertoire. And even go down a rabbit hole or two.
It’s what I’d do if I ran a label (although with my business sense, I’d run in straight into the ground. Case in point: the Auber Overtures series.
Dario Salvi is the creative force behind these recordings. According to his bio, he has a “passion for the rediscovery and performance of long-forgotten masterpieces and the curation of world premieres.”
He’s recorded more than Auber for the label. All his albums maintain a high standard of performance. And all benefit from innovative programming.
Auber wrote over fifty operas. If Salvi just recorded the overtures (as the title suggests), the series would span several volumes. But he goes deeper into the composer’s catalog. Each volume supplements the overtures with instrumental music from the operas.
Some present other compositions by Auber. This release includes ballets and marches from the featured operas.
The album leads with the overture to Le cheval de bronze. Auber completed the work in 1835. For performances at the Paris Opera in 1857 he added a ballet. That music is included as well.
Also included is an arrangement of the overture by Englebert Humperdink. Comparing the two versions of the overture provides insight into both composers’ styles. Humperdink gives Auber’s French music a heavier German orchestration. It doesn’t ruin the music. But it does change the character of it (and not in a bad way).
The Janacek Philharmonic Ostrava is in fine form here. Under Salvi’s direction, they play with a light-hearted elegance fitting the fairy operas. And they can also deliver some dramatic thundering when necessary.
Including additional music from the operas has slowed Salvi’s traversal of the overtures. But these recordings are about the journey, not the destination. These ballets and incidental music show Auber’s genius. His orchestrations set the stage and tell the story — in music, not words. Another fine addition to this edition.
Daniel-François-Esprit Auber: Overtures, Volume 7
Le Cheval de bronze; Le Lac des fées; Marco Spada; Jenny Bell; Das eherne Pferd
Janacek Philharmonic Ostrava; Dario Salvi, conductor
Naxos 8.574597
