Selected Opera Overtures (arr. for string quartet)

• Arranger: Franz Alexander Pssinger (1767-1827)
• Editor: Sam Girling
• Instrumentation: String Quartet (Violin I, Violin II, Viola, Cello)
• Binding:
• ISBN: 9781987209457
• Size: 8.9 x 12.0 inches
• Pages: None

Description

In addition to authoring several opuses of original string quartets, the Viennese violinist and composer Franz Alexander Pssinger (17661827) also produced twenty arrangements of operas and opera overtures for string quartet. in the early nineteenth century, such arrangements played a vital role in opera canon formation by promoting the latest works and trends in opera houses while also providing a reliable source of income for the arranger at a time when the role of kapellmeister was in decline. This edition presents a selection of Pssinger’s opera overture arrangements, chosen on the basis of their historical interest and musical appeal, ranging from lesser-known operas by Joseph Weigl, Adalbert Gyrowetz, Giacomo Meyerbeer, and Franois-Adrien Boieldieu to canonic works such as Beethoven’s Fidelio, Weber’s Oberon, and Rossini’s La gazza ladra. All seven arrangements demonstrate Pssinger’s considerable skill in adapting orchestral works for a four-part chamber ensemble.

Contents:

1. Overture to Das Waisenhaus, Joseph Weigl
2. Overture to Der Augenarzt, Adalbert Gyrowetz
3. Overture to Fidelio (1814 version), Ludwig van Beethoven
4. Overture to La gazza ladra, Gioachino Rossini
5. Overture to Il crociato in Egitto, Giacomo Meyerbeer
6. Overture to La dame blanche, Franois-Adrien Boieldieu
7. Overture to Oberon, Carl Maria von Weber