Symphonic poem temporary stop to the debate as to whether the genre was dead. Nevertheless, composers began to explore the "more compact form" of the concert overture "...as a vehicle within which to blend musical, narrative and pictoral ideas." Examples included Mendelssohn's overtures "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (1826) and "The Hebrides" (1830). Between 1845 and 1847, the Belgian composer César Franck wrote an orchestral piece based on Victor Hugo's poem "Ce qu'on entend sur la montagne". The work exhibits characteristics of a symphonic poem, and some musicologists, such as Norman Demuth and Julien Tiersot, consider it the first of its genre, preceding
Overture to an Italian Comedy manner.The opening subject returns, followed again by the "vulgar" theme, and the work ends in spirited fashion. The overture does not appear to have been inspired by any one piece.The published score is subtitled, "Sorry you've been troubled". Overture to an Italian Comedy The Overture to an Italian Comedy for orchestra was composed in 1936 by Australian composer Arthur Benjamin; it was first performed in London on 2 March 1937, under the direction of Gordon Jacob. The piece opens "fortissimo", presenting its first main subject in the woodwinds against pizzicato strings and creating a lively mood.The second theme is much