Wiener Symphoniker, Bruno Weil - Offenbach: Overtures (1993) CD-Rip

The overtures to Offenbach's operettas are peculiar creations, for they were seldom written by the composer and in most cases were never intended for his theatrical productions. Offenbach found them tedious and superfluous, preferring instead to present his works without any introductory music beyond a few measures. Only two of the overtures in this collection were actually composed by Offenbach, those for La fille du tambour-major and Monsieur et Madame Denis. The rest were patched together by conductors and arrangers -- called an "imaginary factory" in the liner notes -- eager to satisfy the expectations of audiences unaccustomed to Offenbach's innovative practices at the Bouffes-Parisiens. The majority of these pieces were composed by Fritz Hoffman, though the famous overture to Orphée aux enfers was primarily the work of Carl Binder, and the popular potpourri of themes from La belle Hélène was arranged by Friedrich Lehner. Even so, the wonderful melodies these pieces employ are unmistakably Offenbach's, and in many cases the overtures have preserved the best songs of operettas that have otherwise been neglected. Bruno Weil and the Vienna Philharmonic serve up these delightful bonbons with excitement and wit, and the comic spirit of the belle époque pervades this disc.