Ioannis Fulias, “Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s overtures and their evolution on the fringes of his symphonic creation”, in: Ioannis Fulias, Theodora Iordanidou, Alexandra Balandina, Maria Ntourou & Marianna Sideri (ed.), 17th Musicological Conference: “Operetta: Ruptures, continuities and transnational approaches” (Conference proceedings, under the auspices of the Hellenic Musicological Society, Corfu, 7-9 November 2025), Hellenic Musicological Society, Thessaloniki 2026, p. 319-343.
This contribution deals with all the 21 overtures that Mozart occasionally composed from 1767 to 1791 mainly for operas. This selected repertoire evolves in parallel with his other symphonic works and is characterised by great diversity, which in fact remains largely not corresponding to the specific terms sinfonia, intrada and ouverture that are used here interchangeably and circumstantially. From the early overtures in a single movement and the widely established Italianate sinfonias in three (independent or interconnected) movements, Mozart turns already from the early 1770s towards abbreviated versions of the standard sinfonia type (with fewer movements), when these are more suited to the particular dramatic circumstances at the beginning of an opera; later, around 1780, he preferably comprises compound movements of “cyclic form”, with a slow movement inserted into the basic fast sonata form, while from 1786 onwards he ends up with simpler one-movement overtures (now often also with an additional slow introduction). The sometimes remarkable formal choices for the individual movements of all these overtures are also examined in this context, as well as the various harmonic or thematic connections of many of these orchestral pieces with the opening vocal movement or other pivotal point in the plot of each opera.
© Ioannis
Fulias