Emil Nikolaus von Reznicek

Donna Diana: Overture

Donna Diana: Overture (1894 original version) was composed in 1894 by Emil Nikolaus von Reznicek (1860-1945) as the sparkling introduction to his comic opera Donna Diana, based on a Spanish Golden Age play by Agustín Moreto. The opera premiered on December 16, 1894, at the Hofoper in Vienna and quickly achieved widespread popularity, due in large part to the overture's irresistible brilliance and melodic charm of this buoyant, late-Romantic orchestral overture. Although Reznicek revised the opera in 1932, the original 1894 overture remains the version most commonly performed. This lively orchestral showpiece stands as the composer's best-known work and a frequent concert favorite, standing as a lasting representative of fin-de-siècle Viennese comic opera. Instrumentation: 3(3rd dPicc).2.2.2: 4.2.0.0: Timp.Perc(1): Hp: Str (9.8.7.6.5 in set). Reprint edition.