La gazza ladra is a "opera semiseria"; It is about a maid accused of stealing some cutlery with which the title magpie has escaped from her nest. Apparently light, the opera was based on a true story in which a young woman was sentenced to death for the bird crime.

The overture perfectly combines the episodic color with the heavier drama of the symphonic sonata form. It features a parade of delightful themes and effects, including a particularly famous one presented by an oboe, anticipating the characters and action to come, and then, following a spectacular crescendo, rework several of these themes in a mini-development section.

With the collaboration of Naxos