Overture

Franz von Suppé was already a famous composer when he completed his operetta, Die leichte Kavallerie, which premiered on either March 21 or 24, 1866, at the Carltheater in Vienna, where Suppé was Kapellmeister. Carlo Costa's libretto addresses issues current at that time in the Hapsburg Empire, which was about to become the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Hungary's place in the empire, although always second to Austria's, was increasing in importance, and the Viennese were fascinated with this "exotic" land of Gypsies. Writers for the stage took advantage of this interest, and works involving Hungary or Hungarians appeared with increasing frequency. Suppé's Die leichte Kavallerie was one of these. One only need hear the overture to notice this characteristic. Its bravura melodies and mix of modes make it the perfect introduction to an adventure story.

Opening with a solo trumpet call, Suppé's overture to Die leichte Kavallerie immediately suggests a military tale. After the rest of the brass join the trumpet for a cadence, a solo horn repeats the entire gesture. In typical Suppé fashion, loud and soft segments alternate as a solo flute tries to present a theme, but is interrupted by outbursts from the orchestra before the opening trumpet melody returns, this time in several brass instruments and accompanied by an intense, repeated figure in the high strings. All this serves as an introduction to the second section of the overture, which begins with a rapid pulse in the woodwinds supporting the main theme in the violins. Out of this grows the famous, "galloping" brass theme, which is almost immediately later taken by the entire orchestra, fortissimo. A slow, quiet passage leads to a clarinet solo that introduces a plaintive string theme with a distinctly, "eastern" flavor, created through the strategic placement of half steps. This is the "Hungarian" theme of the operetta, presented here at length. The galloping returns, and after a full statement, the opening trumpet call mingles with the galloping theme to create a crashing close.

© John Palmer, Rovi