Hector Berlioz (1803-1869)
Concert overture Corsair Op. 21

The overture’s original title was La Tour de Nice. It was probably written during Berlioz’s second visit to Nice in 1844. It received its final title, Le Corsaire (or Le Corsaire de Rouge), in a later draft. It was published by Richault in Paris in 1852.
Some say that the premiere took place in Paris on January 19th, 1845. Others deny that the overture was ever played there in the composer’s lifetime and point out that Berlioz himself conducted it in Brunswick on April 3rd, 1854. Possibly, the work might have premiered in both cities under different titles. Corsair is a better description of the character of the piece, even if it is generally assumed that it has nothing to do with Byron’s famous narrative poem that has inspired so many composers.
Still, the coincidence of titles was perhaps the reason why Corsair was a favourite element of the repertoire in the 2nd half of the 19th century. Nowadays, the overture is played less often, It begins in Allegro Assai with rapid and irregular runs of strings, with responses from wood. A reflexive Adagio sostenuto unexpectedly appears with a characteristic hymnic cadenza. When Allegro finally returns, the tempo remains unchanged to the very end of the work. The rushing runs of strings serve as the first theme, yet immediately the merry melody of the second appears in low register; this theme is then adopted by the violins. The exposition ends with phrases known from Adagio. The fairly comprehensive development is full of sudden changes and followed by a greatly shortened recapitulation. This concise piece is captivating not so much in its melodics, quite coarse and unsophisticated, as in its vitality and the imaginative parts of the various voices, which could give a headache to many a purist. In this argument, however, we are all on Berlioz’s side.

Maciej Negrey