Raymond Overture - ZOMS-A003 | Musica

Ambroise Thomas (1811-1896) belongs to that group of French composers who was awarded the Prix de Rome. He became chiefly known as a prolific composer of operas. These activities do not give a full picture of his true influence. He succeeded D.F.E. Auber as director of the Paris Conservatory of Music and in that position exercised decisive influence on the music life in France. Today his opera “Raymond ou Les secrets de la Reine” has long been forgotten. The play took place in 17th century France, during the reign of Louis XIV, while the opera as such was first produced in Paris in 1851. In its days it was so famous and held in such high esteem all over Europe that motifs of it were even integrated in a sparkling Saxonian military march. The brilliant arrangement by Teruaki Matsuhiro makes accessible to the band community a lively overture which definitely deserves to be performed at concerts of quality.