Overtures in the theater are designed to capture the audience’s attention and set the mood.   As a result, composers often put a considerable amount of effort into them.  And since an overture has a beginning, middle and end, it can easily become a stand-alone piece for the concert hall or recordings.

That’s certainly true of overtures from well-known and often-performed operas by Rossini, Wagner, Offenbach, and Verdi.

But there are also famous overtures from operas that have all but vanished from the stage—and by composers who might otherwise be completely forgotten.

In the next hour, eight of these remarkable survivors—and the stories behind them.

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