The concert overture on the subject of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar was the second in a series of three concert overtures inspired by literary subjects. Schumann composed them during his first years in Dusseldorf. Schumann had initially been planning on composing an opera or oratorio based on the life of Martin Luther. This idea soon was dropped, but while looking for suitable opera subjects, Schumann was inspired by several worthy texts. Although he had always wanted to compose a successful opera, Schumann instead turned to the concert overture, an attempt to capture in instrumental sound the poetic nuances of dramatic texts. However, the Overture to Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, merely a series of marches, does little to evoke the Shakespeare original.

© All Music Guide

Portions of Content Provided by All Music Guide.
© 2008 All Media Guide, LLC. All Music Guide is a registered trademark of All Media Guide, LLC.