James Tobin wrote:

>What I am wondering is: how widespread was the practice of opening with
>an overture, symphonic poem or other short work; when did this start;
>and when did it fade out, as it seems to have?  And do any orchestras
>still allow latecomers to bring things to a halt?  Does anyone know or
>have observations to share?

I don't think it has faded out.  I'm going to Sunday's Victoria Symphony
concert which opens with Shostakovich's Festival Overture.  Their concert
quite frequently fall into the overture-concerto-symphony pattern as to
concerts by the local community orchestras (both of them), the university
orchestra and the youth orchestra.

Deryk Barker <[log in to unmask]>