WINGERT-JONES PUBLICATIONS

In his compositional craft, Verdi was not reluctant to display some of his most powerful and dramatic music in his overtures, preludes and ballet scenes.  His preludes before individual acts of the operas were shorter than his overtures, but they do foreshadow the mood and intense drama of the ensuing scenes.  Paired together in this transcription are preludes from Ernani and Atilla, his fifth and ninth of 26 operatic works.

Written for the great Norwegian poet Bjornstjerne Bjornson, a very close friend of the composer, this was composed as a funeral march upon his death in 1910. The music's link with Bjornson is underscored by the fact that it opens with a paraphrase of the Norwegian national anthem. At the peak, it suddenly falls away, and following a roll of the timpani, the anthem is played in its entirety. Vocal parts sung by members of the ensemble contribute to the overall effect and make this a most memorable and moving work.