This collection of opera overtures and intermezzos brings together some of the most popular concert pieces extracted from the genre, along with a few gems that have gone out of fashion but have not lost their charm. The overture to Giuseppe Verdi's La forza del destino abounds with passionate lyricism and doom-laden tension, and the Preludes to the first and third acts of La Traviata give a taste of that opera's poignance and melancholy. Smetana's joyous overture to The Bartered Bride bursts with energy, and its syncopated rhythms and scurrying string passages make it a perennial favorite. Weber's overtures to Der Freischütz and Euryanthe are examples of his dramatic Romanticism at its peak. Jaromir Weinberger's Schwanda the Bagpiper is represented by its Polka and Fugue, two engaging excerpts that are full of Czech nationalistic color. The Intermezzo from Wolf-Ferrari's I gioielli della Madonna is as sophisticated and witty as the "Prayer" from Humperdinck's Hänsel und Gretel is simple and pure. The long, arching melody of the Intermezzo from
Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana is one of the most ecstatic themes from any opera. The jaunty Overture and Gavotte from Ambroise Thomas' Mignon lighten the mood, and Reznicek's exuberant overture to Donna Diana brings the collection to a satisfying close.