entr'acte
Music performed between the acts of an opera, play, or other theatrical work, serving as an interlude.
In Depth
The entr'acte (French for "between acts") provides musical continuity during scene changes and allows audiences a structured pause without breaking the theatrical atmosphere entirely. In opera, entr'actes range from brief orchestral interludes to substantial symphonic movements: Bizet's Carmen contains some of the most famous entr'actes in the repertoire, including the dramatic prelude to Act IV that foreshadows the opera's tragic ending.
The practice dates back to Renaissance theater, where instrumental music accompanied scene changes in spoken drama. In the 18th and 19th centuries, entr'actes became increasingly sophisticated, with composers like Schubert (Rosamunde), Mendelssohn (A Midsummer Night's Dream), and Grieg (Peer Gynt) writing incidental music whose entr'actes have become concert favorites independent of their theatrical origins. In modern musical theater, the term "entr'acte" specifically refers to the orchestral piece that opens the second act.
Schubert's entr'acte music for the play Rosamunde is far more famous than the play itself, which was a complete failure and closed after just two performances in 1823.