The French Overture By Ross Gunn

What is the French Overture?• An overture is a piece of instrumental music which introduces

a large-scale work e.g. before an opera or musical

• The French Overture was used a lot in the Baroque period and was first used by the composer Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687)

How it’s written

• It is usually in 2 sections

• The first section is often slow and features dotted rhythms, which creates a marching sound

• The second section is usually faster

Example of a French Overture

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKrMv1HnMTM

• What cadence occurs at the end of the overture?

• Overture from ‘Le Bourgeois gentilhomme’ by Jean-Baptiste Lully