Overture No. 2 in E-flat Major - by Louise Farrenc

Overture No. 2 in E-flat Major by Louise Farrenc
Performed Sunday, May 7th, 2023 | First Christian Church
Conductor: Thomas Wilson
Audio/Video: Michael Lascuola
Program Notes: Jennifer Carpenter
Like other female composers in the 19th century, Louise Farrenc’s steadfast ambition and sheer hard work helped her overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles in order to achieve success. Born into a distinguished artistic family - both her father and brother were Prix de Rome-winning sculptors - Louise broke a significant gender barrier by being accepted into the previously all-male composition class at the Paris Conservatoire. She later became the only woman to hold a permanent chair of rank at the Conservatoire when she became a professor of piano in 1842, a position she held until her retirement in 1873.
During the 1830s Farrenc established an impressive career in Paris as a pianist, composer, and teacher. Much of her compositional oeuvre consisted of small-scale piano pieces and chamber music that frequently featured the piano. She first broached the orchestral genre in 1834 with two concert overtures. Her Overture No. 1 premiered in Paris in 1835; five years later, Overture No. 2 premiered in 1840 while she was in the midst of finishing her three symphonies - these five works comprise the sum total of her orchestral output. None of her orchestral works were published during her lifetime, despite the compositions finding favorability in Paris and beyond. The Institut de France honored Farrenc in 1861 and 1869 by awarding her the Chartier Prize for her compositions.
Theater-goers in 19th-century Paris loved opera, particularly French Grand Opera, which dominated the scene at the middle of the century. Thrilling overtures set the stage for these celebrated operas and often featured new instruments, particularly in the woodwinds and brass. There is no doubt that Farrenc leveraged the popularity of opera by introducing herself to the symphonic arena with a concert overture - a standalone work not specifically associated with an opera, but nevertheless a reflection of the popular operatic scene.
Overture No. 2 in Eb major appeared shortly after Berlioz’ Symphonie Fantastique, Meyerbeer’s Robert le Diable, and Rossini’s William Tell. Each of these were dynamic works whose orchestration thrilled audiences and critics alike. Berlioz wrote that Farrenc’s Overture No. 2 was “orchestrated with a talent rare among women.” Both of her overtures follow a well-crafted and finely orchestrated sonata form. The overture opens with an introduction whose noble gravity pays homage to many of Haydn’s mature symphonies. The main theme enters swiftly and is rather reminiscent of the popular operatic overtures of her day. The infectious main themes transform through bold harmonic effects in the development section before coming back in their original form, closing this too-little known work by one of France’s most gifted 19th-century musicians.