Die leichte Kavallerie

Operas by Franz von Suppé
Die schöne Galathee (1865) Leichte Kavallerie (1866) Boccaccio (1879)
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Leichte Kavallerie (Light Cavalry) is an operetta in three acts by Franz von Suppé, with a libretto by Karl Costa. It was first performed in the Carltheater, Vienna on 21 March 1866.

While much of the operetta remains in relative obscurity, the overture is one of von Suppé's most well-known pieces. Many orchestral groups have the piece in their repertoire (including the Boston Pops Orchestra, which made a popular recording of it), and the main theme of the overture has been quoted numerous times by musicians, cartoons and other media.

Roles

Recordings

The overture has been recorded, amongst others, by:

• John Barbirolli and the Hallé Orchestra (Archipel Records - ARPCD0373)
• Erich Kleiber and the Berlin Philharmonic (BPH0603)
• Neville Marriner and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields (EMI 5856242)
• Gennady Rozhdestvensky and the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra (Melodiya - MELCD1001662)
• Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic (DG - E4777099)
• Paul Paray and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (Philips)

External links

• Boosey and Hawkes guide to Leichte Kavallerie, 1952 version with libretto by Hans Bodenstedt (1887-1958) and musical arrangement by Horst Platen, accessed 7 June 2010
• IMSLP page, accessed 7 June 2010
• Welt der Operette page on original 1866 version, accessed 7 June 2010
• MIDI file of Light Cavalry Overture (http://www.midicenter.com/midi/midi_files/classical/)