Famous French Overtures

Popular revolutions are not always good for opera, and the French Revolution had an immediately deleterious effect on standards at the Paris Opera, where works of an overtly political and patriotic nature were for a time encouraged. Something of a revival took place towards the end of the first decade of the nineteenth century with the work of Spontini, followed by a younger group of composers that included Boieldieu, Herold, Halevy and Auber. The last of these, christened Daniel-Francois-Esprit, was the son of a royal huntsman and became a pupil of the redoubtable Cherubini after the staging of his first opera in -1805, a work that enjoyed little success. He began to make a name for himself only in the 1820s, with La bergère chatelaine, and thereafter in collaboration with the librettist Augustin-Eugene Scribe. The opera Masaniello, otherwise known as La muette de Portici (The Dumb Girl of Portici), with a libretto by Scribe and Delavigne, was first staged at the Opera in February 1828. The hero of the piece, Masaniello, is a revolutionary leader in seventeenth century Naples. He succeeds in releasing his unjustly imprisoned dumb sister Fanella and seizing power, but is poisoned, driven mad, defeated and killed, while Fanella kills herself by jumping from her window into the volcano of Mount Vesuvius. Performance of Masaniello in Brussels in 1830 led to the Belgian revolution and establishment of independence. Scribe also wrote the libretto for Le cheval de bronze (The Bronze Horse), first produced at the Paris Opera-Comique in 1835, and collaborated with Vernoy de Saint-Georges on Les diamants de la couronne (The Crown Diamonds), successfully staged at the same house in 1841. The first of these, in its original form, was described as an opera-feerique, later to be expanded into an opera-ballet. The second, a thoroughly French piece, was set in Portugal. Unlike Masaniello, these two operas are typically graceful and relatively light-hearted, qualities apparent from the overtures.

America's favourite "Pops" conductor, Richard Hayman is Principal "Pops" Conductor of the Saint Louis, Hartford and Grand Rapids symphony orchestras, of Orchestra London Canada and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, and also held that post with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for many years.

For over 30 years, Mr. Hayman served as the chief arranger for the Boston Pops Orchestra during Arthur Fiedler's tenure, providing special arrangements for dozens of their hit albums and famous singles. Under John Williams' direction, the orchestra continues to program his award-winning arrangements, and orchestrations.

Now residing in New York City, Mr. Hayman's work is in constant demand, in every medium of musical expression, from Boston to Hollywood. Though more involved with the symphony orchestra circuit, Mr. Hayman has served as musical director and/or master of ceremonies for the tour shows of many popular entertainers: Kenny Rogers, Johnny Cash, Olivia Newton-John, Tom Jones, Engelbert Humperdinck, The Carpenters, The Osmonds, Al Hirt, Andy Williams and many others.