Euryanthe Overture

Carl Maria von Weber was a pioneering composer of the early Romantic period who made significant contributions to the establishment of German opera. "Euryanthe," his eighth opera out of nine, is rarely performed in its entirety today. The overture, structured in sonata form and based in E-flat major, is notable for the striking contrast between the heroic first theme and the lyrical second theme. The compact yet substantial piece features an impressive exposition, a tense fugato in the development section, and a triumphant recapitulation. Throughout the piece, the combination of triplets and dotted eighth notes followed by sixteenth notes gives it a fresh and lively character.

In arranging the piece for wind ensemble, the primary focus was to remain faithful to the original score. Alterations to the articulation and other elements were kept to a necessary minimum. The term "con molto fuoco" in the score should be interpreted as the vibrant energy of youthful life rather than raw fierceness. With the weight reminiscent of later Wagner that appears in sections like rehearsal mark [7], a performance rich in color is expected.

The piece was premiered on November 17, 2013, at the Ehime Prefectural Cultural Hall (Himegin Hall), conducted by Kimihiko Hasegawa and performed by the Ehime Prefectural Iyo High School Wind Orchestra. I would like to express my heartfelt respect to Mr. Hasegawa and the students of Iyo High School for their continuous pursuit of new possibilities.

(Masaki Itani)