Beethoven: Overtures (Essential Classics)
In case you're wondering,Leonorewas the original title of Beethoven's only opera,Fidelio. As its four existing overtures (the threeLeonoreones plusFidelio) show, it gave him a lot of trouble.LeonoreNo. 2 was actually the first of them, followed by No. 3, which grew to be so impressive that Beethoven himself detached it because it literally blew away the entire first act! For a later revival he composed No. 1, and then finally revised the whole work, changed the name, and wroteFidelio. All of the other overtures were composed for spoken plays (and one ballet), and are thus the 19th century's answer to movie music. These performances are tops, and at budget price, what are you waiting for?--David Hurwitz