Composed 1956; Duration: 5 minutes

First BPO Performance: March 14-15, 1964 (Leonard Bernstein & Lukas Foss, conductors)

Last BPO Performance: April 10-11, 1999 (Hermann Michael, conductor)

French Enlightenment philosopher Voltaire’s 1759 bitingly sarcastic and satirical novella, Candide, ou l’Optimisme, serves as the basis for Bernstein’s 1956 operetta, Candide. The naïve protagonist has been indoctrinated with an optimism that is constantly questioned as he is flung from one real-world tragedy to another. His troubles are endless as he witnesses the plights of war, disease, the Inquisition, and the Lisbon earthquake. However, the operetta concludes as the poor and disillusioned Candide decides to make sense out of life with the famous song, “Make Our Garden Grow.” The overture begins with an exaggerated reimagining of the bel canto overture. A brassy fanfare opens for a pair of themes: the first is anxiously quicksilver, juxtaposed with the caustic, laughing second, both exchanging colors at alarming speed. A contrasting lyrical theme derived from a love duet in the second act interrupts the frenetic dueling themes, but does not allow the overture’s energy to slacken. The climax of the overture comes with a building crescendo of instrumentation as themes pile on one another, perfectly foreshadowing the layers of misfortune in store for Candide.