Overture to Candide

Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) remains uniquely synonymous with American music, from the New York Philharmonic to powerful Hollywood film scores like On the Waterfront and West Side Story. He also composed arguably the most beloved American opera of the past century, Candide, based on the novel of Voltaire. The opera’s text went through various revisions after its premiere in 1956, but the scintillating orchestral overture remains true to Bernstein’s original vision. And beyond the opera’s popularity, the overture has become a staple of the concert repertoire. It quotes material from several of the show’s signature songs, including “The Best of All Possible Worlds” and “Happy We.” Bernstein conducted a performance for one of his Young People’s Concerts, lamenting that the show had ended its run but at least the overture still “lingered on.” Whatever the opera’s faults, the overture is peerless: rhythmically adventurous, filled with soaring and witty tunes, and a rousing raucous coda.

(c) Jason Stell