French overture
Baroque overture with a slow introduction and a fugue.
What it means
The French overture is a type of overture of the Baroque with two main parts: a slow introduction in dotted rhythm and solemn gesture, followed by a fast section laid out as a fugue. Often at the end the slow part or its rhythm returns, so that a layout in three parts arises. It arose in the French musical theatre of the seventeenth century and spread from there across Europe.
Musical use
Its effect rests on the contrast of pomp and motion: the dotted beginning seems ceremonial, the fugal part releases energy. As the opening of operas and ballets it served at the same time for representation. Outside the theatre the type became the introduction of orchestral suites, which are therefore often themselves called overture, and found its way into church and keyboard music, where individual movements take up the characteristic rhythm. A point of performance practice still discussed today is the execution of the dotted rhythms: much speaks for playing them sharper than notated, but the sources allow no uniform rule.
Performance practice
Settle before rehearsal how the dotted rhythms are executed, and keep it uniform throughout the group; disagreement at this point destroys the character. Play the slow part broadly but without dragging, with distinct articulation and air between the notes. In the fugal part the entries must be clearly audible; settle tempo and articulation of the subjects beforehand. Plan the transition between the parts deliberately. On the return of the slow part, expect an intensification compared with the beginning.
Remember that the slow part works through its gesture and not through volume: the dotted rhythms need air between the notes, and the short values are taken short and together. Agree the execution bindingly. In the fugal part the articulation of the subject is to be fixed so that the entries sound the same. Settle whether the slow part returns after the fugato, for many overtures close with a short section at the opening tempo. Check which signs come from the editor, because dotted rhythms were often adjusted.