William Boughton, the conductor on this album, comes from a musical family; his grandfather, Rutland Boughton, was a composer, and his parents were a professional viola player and a singer.
Cultural Impact
The growing popularity of operatic overtures as independent concert pieces led Mozart to compose a special 'concert-ending' for his Don Giovanni overture.
Recording & Production
This album of popular operatic overtures was recorded in the Royal Albert Hall, London, on April 11th and 12th, 1988.
Composition History
The overture as a musical form developed alongside the abstract instrumental sinfonia, sometimes fitting both categories simultaneously.
Cultural Impact
Some of the operatic overtures on this disc are now better known in the concert hall than in the opera house.
Performer Biography
William Boughton, the conductor, formed the English Symphony Orchestra in 1980 and built a significant discography of internationally acclaimed recordings with them.
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