James Tobin wrote:

>I cannot recall the last time I attended a classical music concert which
>opened with an overture.  The very first piece I ever heard in a concert
>hall, though, was Rossini's overture to La Gazza Ladra--followed by
>Brahms First Symphony.  (Guido Catelli conducting.)

Guido Cantelli!
I was just discussing elsewhere that in Jerusalem, 1965 Steinberg preceded
the Mahler 7 with the Berlioz Benvenuto Cellini Overture.  The intermission
was after the first mvt.  of the Mahler.  Since I don't get to that many
concerts I cannot say about general practice.

The Mahler 3 I attended several years ago at Princeton (the Princeton
University Orchestra, superb group of all non-major undergraduates---totally
amazing) had nothing else on the program.

Other fairly recent concerts preceded the symphony with some modern
noise.  Cheers,

Yoel