Octo_Russ

Schubert - Rosamunde Overture [Abbado-The Chamber Orchestra Of Europe]

This is a well played disc of Schubert's Ninth, in fact i find it my favourite interpretation, and it's rated very highly in my collection, the Overture by comparison is just 'filler', however, everytime i listen to it, i find it so genial and happy, it's like a fifth movement of the Ninth Symphony, and unlike say the Overtures of Beethoven or Rossini, which have many companions, and which have discs of their collections, the Rosamunde Overture inhabits a lonely world, and yet it's every bit as gorgeous as other well known Schubert orchestral music, today i'd like to voice my praises to this less well known Overture. 

Claudio Abbado hails from Italy, born in 1933, he's now 78, he recorded this disc in 1987, wow that's over 20 years ago now, time really flies, this disc was part of a full cycle of Schubert Symphonies, and very well received, Abbado has recorded with a small-ish group of musicians [i would guess around 40], so rather than stodgy Schubert, there's clean and lithe textures, i really don't rate the front cover, it's actually artwork rather than a photograph. 

I must admit that the Overture does start with a long introduction which gives the impression it's going to be a rather stodgy affair [0:00-2:57], but then it transforms into a robust allegro [2:58-4:03], but still the piece takes time for it to weave its true magic, and it's the woodwind that gaily serenade us [4:15-4:48] towards what the piece eventually becomes, 

Here's Riccardo Muti conducting the Overture on YouTube.