This CD opens a new chapter in our awareness and knowledge of Andrea Luchesi, presenting his Overtures, or rather, according to the terminology used at the time, the ‘Sinfonie Avanti l’Opera’ or ‘Symphonies before the Opera’. They are all true compositions in their own right, which – often used outside of the theatrical context – served as a reminder to the audience that a show was about to take place.

The pieces are usually divided into three movements, traditionally belonging to the ‘Italian School’ of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. They were circulated throughout Europe as autonomous pieces, often being rearranged and edited.

Luchesi’s work is particularly inspired in the slow movements, in which the composer creates poetic colours in line with the Venetian tastes of the time (being presented in the theatre by Baldassare Galuppi). Whilst the style does not deviate too much from that of Paisello and Cimarosa, Luchesi’s music shines in its own right, freed from traditional boundaries and allowing for original ideas and solutions.

In this Super Audio CD we hear some Overtures in their world premiere recordings.