La Forza Del Destino (Ouverture) Giuseppe Verdi / Arr. Piet (Petrus) Stalmeier

Titel / Title: La Forza Del Destino
Untertitel / Subtitle: Ouverture/Overture
Komponist / Composer: Giuseppe Verdi
Arrangeur / Arranger: Piet Stalmeier
Instrumentation: Concert Band


The great Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) was largely self-taught. He composed some operas but then in less than two years' time he lost his wife and two children (1838-1840) and decided to give up composing. However he was convinced to write again and in 1842 he became world famous with his opera 'Nabucco'. This was followed by several masterpieces such as Rigoletto, Il Trovatore, Un ballo in maschera, Aida, Othello and Falstaff. His twenty-fourth opera 'La Forza del Destino' was composed in 1862 for a performance at the Imperial Theatre of Saint Petersburg. This four act opera was written to a libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, based on the Spanish tragedy 'Don Alvaro' written in 1835 by Don Angelo Pérez de Saavedra, Duke of Rivas. It tells the adventures of the unfortunate Alvaro in Italy and Spain in the middle of the eighteenth century. The love between Leonore and the half-breed of Inca descent Don Alvaro meets a lot of obstacles. One year after the creation in Russia, the opera was performed in Rome under the title 'Don Alvaro'. For the performance at the Scala in Milan in 1869, Verdi transformed the opera and also extended the original prelude into the now popular overture. This overture boasts the best-known melodies as well as the famous three-chord theme and is one of the best-structured overtures by Verdi. It opens with an ominous warning note of the trumpet, introducing a dramatic theme in a minor key. The second theme, taken from the Prayer to the Virgin in Act II, is a noble melody in B major. A gentle pastoral melody forms a contrast to this, and the material of the three principal themes is worked up into a brilliant climax.

The great Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) was largely self-taught. He composed some operas but then in less than two years' time he lost his wife and two children (1838-1840) and decided to give up composing. However he was convinced to write again and in 1842 he became world famous with his opera 'Nabucco'. This was followed by several masterpieces such as Rigoletto, Il Trovatore, Un ballo in maschera, Aida, Othello and Falstaff. His twenty-fourth opera 'La Forza del Destino' was composed in 1862 for a performance at the Imperial Theatre of Saint Petersburg. This four act opera was written to a libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, based on the Spanish tragedy 'Don Alvaro' written in 1835 by Don Angelo Pérez de Saavedra, Duke of Rivas. It tells the adventures of the unfortunate Alvaro in Italy and Spain in the middle of the eighteenth century. The love between Leonore and the half-breed of Inca descent Don Alvaro meets a lot of obstacles. One year after the creation in Russia, the opera was performed in Rome under the title 'Don Alvaro'. For the performance at the Scala in Milan in 1869, Verdi transformed the opera and also extended the original prelude into the now popular overture. This overture boasts the best-known melodies as well as the famous three-chord theme and is one of the best-structured overtures by Verdi. It opens with an ominous warning note of the trumpet, introducing a dramatic theme in a minor key. The second theme, taken from the Prayer to the Virgin in Act II, is a noble melody in B major. A gentle pastoral melody forms a contrast to this, and the material of the three principal themes is worked up into a brilliant climax.

[FR]
Le grand compositeur d'opéra italien Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) est essentiellement autodidacte. Il compose quelques opéras, mais en moins de deux ans il perd sa femme et deux enfants (1838-1840) ce qui l'incite à abandonner la composition. Néanmoins, il se laisse convaincre, se remet à composer et en 1842 son opéra 'Nabucco' le rend mondialement célèbre. Celui-ci sera suivi de nombreux chefs-d'uvre dont Rigoletto, Le Trouvère, Un ballo in maschera, Aïda, Othello et Falstaff. Son vingt-quatrième opéra 'La Force du Destin' est composé en 1862 pour une représentation au Théâtre Impérial de Saint-Petersbourg en Russie. Cet opéra en quatre actes utilise un livret de Francesco Maria Piave, basé sur la tragédie espagnole 'Don Alvaro' écrite en 1835 par Don Angelo Pérez de Saavedra, Duc de Rivas. Il s'agit des aventures du malheureux bougre Alvaro en Italie et en Espagne au milieu du dix-huitième siècle. L'amour de Léonore et Don Alvaro, métisse d'origine Inca, doit vaincre de nombreux obstacles. Un an après la création en Russie, l'opéra est joué à Rome sous le titre 'Don Alvaro'. Pour la représentation à la Scala de Milan en 1869, Verdi transforme son opéra et change le prélude original en l'ouverture devenue tellement populaire. Celle-ci comprend non seulement les mélodies les plus connues, mais également le célèbre thème aux trois accords, et est l'une des ouvertures les mieux structurées de Verdi. Un signal d'alarme à la trompette introduit un thème plutôt dramatique en mineur. Le deuxième thème, extrait de la prière à la Vierge du deuxième acte, est une mélodie très noble en Si majeur et puis vient un charmant air pastoral. Le matériel de ces trois thèmes principaux sert de base à l'élaboration du brillant mouvement final.

[NL]
De grote Italiaanse operacomponist Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) was grotendeels autodidact. Hij componeerde enkele opera's maar verloor op amper twee jaar tijd (1838-1840) zijn vrouw en twee kinderen wat hem ertoe deed besluiten het componeren op te geven. Toch kon men hem overhalen opnieuw te gaan schrijven en zijn opera 'Nabucco' (1842) maakte hem wereldberoemd. Talloze meesterwerken waaronder Rigoletto, Il Trovatore, Un ballo in maschera, Aïda, Othello en Falstaff volgden.Zijn vierentwintigste opera 'La Forza del Destino' werd in 1862 gecomponeerd voor een opvoering in het Keizerlijk Theater van Sint Petersburg waar ook de eerste uitvoering in 1862 plaats vond. Deze opera in vier bedrijven gebruikte een libretto van Francesco Maria Piave, dat gebaseerd was op de Spaanse tragedie 'Don Alvaro' geschreven in 1835 door de Hertog van Rivas, Don Angelo Pérez de Saavedra, die de lotgevallen van de ongelukkige pechvogel Alvaro in Italië en Spanje in het midden van de achttiende eeuw beschrijft. De liefde tussen Leonore en de halfbloed van Inca afkomst Don Alvaro kent heel wat hindernissen. Een jaar na de creatie in Rusland werd deze opera onder de titel 'Don Alvaro' in Rome opgevoerd. Voor de opvoering in de Scala van Milaan in 1869 voerde Verdi diverse wijzigingen door, waaronder de uitwerking van de oorspronkelijke prelude tot de thans gekende ouverture. Deze laatste bevat naast de meest bekende melodieën, het bekende motief met de drie akkoorden en is één van de best gestructureerde ouvertures van Verdi. Een alarmerend trompetsignaal introduceert en dramatisch thema in mineur. Het tweede thema, afkomstig uit het gebed tot Onze Lieve Vrouw uit het 2de bedrijf, is een edele melodie in B groot. Een lieflijke pastorale melodie staat hiermee in contrast en het materiaal van de drie hoofdthema's wordt in een schitterende climax verwerkt.

Besetzungsliste / Instrumentation:

0 Full Score A3
1 Full Score
1 Piccolo
8 Flute
1 Oboe I
1 Oboe II
1 Bassoon I
1 Bassoon II
1 Clarinet Eb
4 Clarinet Solo
4 Clarinet I
4 Clarinet II
4 Clarinet III
1 Bass Clarinet
1 Soprano Saxophone
2 Alto Saxophone I
2 Alto Saxophone II
2 Tenor Saxophone
1 Baritone Saxophone
1 Flugelhorn Eb
1 Flugelhorn Solo
2 Flugelhorn I
2 Flugelhorn II
1 Flugelhorn III
2 Cornet I
2 Cornet II
2 Trumpet I
2 Trumpet II
1 Horn I Eb
1 Horn I F
1 Horn II Eb
1 Horn II F
1 Horn III Eb
1 Horn III F
1 Horn IV Eb
1 Horn IV F
2 Trombone I C
1 Trombone I Bb (TC)
1 Trombone I Bb (BC)
2 Trombone II C
1 Trombone II Bb (TC)
1 Trombone II Bb (BC)
2 Trombone III C
1 Trombone III Bb (TC)
1 Trombone III Bb (BC)
1 Baritone C
1 Baritone Bb (BC)
2 Baritone Bb (TC)
1 Baritone II C
1 Baritone II Bb (BC)
2 Baritone II Bb (TC)
2 Bas Bb (TC)
2 Bas Bb (BC)
2 Bas Eb (TC)
2 Bas Eb (BC)
4 Tuba C
3 Percussion
1 Timpani