Composed: 1850
Premiered: 1850, Leipzig
Duration: 10 minutes

German composer Robert Schumann was most well-known for his symphonies and concertos, but he did write one opera in his lifetime. Genoveva is based on a 13th-century medieval legend about the life of Marie of Brabant, the wife of Louis II, the Duke of Bavaria. Schumann wrote the overture for Genoveva first, which was uncommon for most composers of his era, and the piece had been performed a number of times before the full opera’s premiere. Unfortunately for Schumann, his opera was not well-received, so Genoveva was his first and last in the genre, but the overture has remained a vibrant staple of the orchestral repertoire.