A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Turandot

TURANDOT is a 5-act play of Schiller's, founded on a Chinese subject, orchestral music to which was composed by Weber in 1809. His music consists of an Overture and 6 numbers, 3 of them marches, all more or less founded on a Chinese melody, which Weber took from Rousseau's Dictionary of Music (vol. ii. plate N), and which opens the overture exactly as Rousseau gives it.

${ \relative g'' { \time 2/2 g4 e8 d b4 b | g' e8 d e4 d8 g | a f f d b d d g | %end line 1 e d g,[ a] b4 b | b8 d d b d4 e8 g | d4 d e8 g e d | %end line 2 b4 b a8 g b a | g4 g a g8 a | g4 s_"etc." } }$

The Overture was originally composed as an 'Overtura Chinesa' in 1806, and afterwards revised. The first performance of the Overture in its present shape was at Strassburg, Dec. 31, 1814. It is doubtful if the rest has ever been performed. The play has been also treated by Blumenroeder, Reissiger, and Hoven. It has been 'freely translated' into English by Sabilla Novello (1872).

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