overture

(n) orchestral music played at the beginning of an opera or oratorio
(n) something that serves as a preceding event or introduces what follows
- training is a necessary preliminary to employment
- drinks were the overture to dinner
prelude, preliminary,
(n) a tentative suggestion designed to elicit the reactions of others
- she rejected his advances
feeler, advance, approach,

prelude preliminary feeler advance approach

overturn