Eileen Overture–youtube

In this opening selection, the Overture for Eileen, we can hear the full romantic nature of Victor Herbert’s skills as composer. On March 27, 1917, Eileen opened at Broadway’s Shubert Theatre, and Herbert conducted the orchestra on opening night. According to the review in the New York Times, between the second and the third acts, Herbert addressed the audience, telling them that he had always longed to write an opera that would be a credit to Irish music.

The same reviewer said that Eileen “is in Mr. Herbert’s best vein. It is fairly bursting with rich melodies of the kind for which this composer is famous…” Alexander Woolcott’s review went even further: “He [Herbert] has seldom written a more thoroughly characteristic and delightful score.”

According to composer, Gustav Klemm, Herbert’s close friend and colleague, Eileen was Herbert’s favorite work, closer to his heart than anything else. It is also our favorite operetta, and we hope you enjoy the music that we are going to share with you.

We are experiencing difficulty with Spotify; for now, we will share the Overture from youtube.