“Twelfth Night Overture” is a concert overture written by Laura Nobili that follows the story of Viola and her twin brother Sebastian, who have been separated by a violent storm. Unbeknownst to the other, both are stranded in Illyria, where they are faced with uncomfortable situations regarding love, hidden identities, and confusion.

The piece is divided into two large sections - each representing a group of related characters. Beginning with solemn chords in F Minor played by the strings, a mournful atmosphere - resembling the emotions of Viola, Olivia, and Sebastian, as they suffer the loss (or apparent loss) of a sibling.

It also reflects Orsino’s unrequited desire for Olivia. The addition of the horn in the latter part of this section is symbolic of nobility - a shared feature of these characters.

This leads into a duet between a viola soloist and cello soloist. These two voices are representative of Viola and Sebastian’s experiences in the storm.

The instrumentation grows as the string section intensifies, winds are added and eventually the timpani is introduced as a percussive element. A crescendo leads into a violin solo, punctuated by sforzando chords in the strings, brass and timpani.

This represents Viola’s independence - taking control of her destiny by finding the only way possible for her to survive in this unknown land. The string section whisks away the solo into a theme which symbolizes the love triangle - and later a larger entanglement of confusion in regards to love.

Woodwinds enter with a warmness that reflects the feeling of being in love - one that every character in the play experiences. Gradually, the brass is introduced with a reminder of the nobility of the characters, and eventually a grand section with every instrument playing creates a feeling of conclusion to the section.

Suddenly, the harmony becomes more unsettling - supported by the strings. Brass enters with soaring dynamic contrasts.

This area of the piece adds tension, which is finally resolved by a solo melody in the oboe, landing in D Major in the second part of the piece. This section is representative of the comedic characters in “Twelfth Night”.

It begins in a slow tempo with a waltz-like feel, introducing the theme of the jokesters. The time signature returns to common time, with a texture that feels a bit uneven - representing the drunk dance-like steps of Sir Toby Belch and Sir Andrew Aguecheek.

The melody enters in the clarinet, later supported by harmonies in the second and bass clarinet. Oboe and bassoon take over the melody with an imitative duet, with harmonic supports entering at the cadences of the phrases.

With a sudden drop in dynamic, the melody is momentarily reinstated in the parallel minor before a crescendo takes it into a full orchestra moment, interrupted by a pause. The oboes and bassoons imitate each other, with a minimal texture in the strings, as each instrument is gradually added, creating a large build-up in sound.

The trumpets take the jokester’s theme and lead it into a large chordal section which immediately drops back to the theme of the storm - now in B Minor. Elements from the first section are repeated, with an extended reinstatement of the violin solo - now including imitation in a cello solo.

This is used to facilitate a modulation to Bb Major where the lovers theme is repeated. The piece ends in F Major - the parallel major of the beginning - to represent the joy of the ending of the play.

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