MusiLLection

Set for Rossini's opera La Donna del Lago (The Lady of the Lake), written in 1819. Gioachino Rossini remains one of the most influential figures in the history of opera, particularly celebrated for his mastery of comic opera ( opera buffa ), his melodic brilliance, and his distinctive rhythmic vitality. His output spans opera, sacred music, instrumental works, and vocal compositions, many of which continue to occupy a central place in the repertoire. Operas: Tancredi L'italiana in Algeri (The Italian Girl in Algiers) Il turco in Italia Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra Il barbiere di Siviglia, ossia L'inutile precauzione (The Barber of Seville, or The Useless Precaution) Otello, ossia Il Moro di Venezia La gazza ladra (The Thieving Magpie) Armida La donna del lago (The Lady of the Lake) Semiramide Le siège de Corinthe (The Siege of Corinth) Mosè in Egitto (Moses in Egypt) Le comte Ory Guillaume Tell Sacred music: Messa di Gloria Stabat mater Petite messe solennelle Ins...

Costume design for L’italiana in Algeri , reflecting the exotic colour and theatrical elegance of Rossini’s opera buffa .    Gioachino Rossini was only twenty years old when he composed L’italiana in Algeri , a work that would mark his first major triumph in opera buffa and bring him international recognition. Written in less than a month, the opera premiered at the Teatro San Benedetto in Venice on 22 May 1813 and was greeted with immediate enthusiasm. Amazed by the opera’s success, the young composer reportedly remarked with characteristic wit: “I believed that when the Venetians heard my opera, they would consider me mad. Instead, they proved they were even madder than I was.” The French writer Stendhal , a passionate admirer of Rossini, famously described the work as “an organized and complete madness.” The opera was composed rapidly to fill an unexpected gap in the programme of the San Benedetto Theatre. Rossini had just achieved a sensational success with Tancredi ,...

  Gioachino Rossini, composer of Semiramide , one of the last and most monumental operas of his Italian period. Semiramide is one of Gioachino Rossini ’s most ambitious and serious operatic works , marking the culmination of his Italian opera career before his final masterpiece, Guillaume Tell . Composed in two acts , the opera premiered at La Fenice Theatre in Venice on February 3, 1823 . The libretto by Gaetano Rossi is based on Voltaire’s tragedy Semiramis , itself inspired by the ancient legend of Semiramis, Queen of Assyria . One of the most distinctive features of Semiramide is its overture , which draws directly on thematic material from the opera itself. This approach strengthens the dramatic continuity between the instrumental opening and the unfolding stage action, anticipating techniques later adopted by Romantic composers. The overture opens with ominous drum rolls , followed by a rapid crescendo from pianissimo to fortissimo in less than half a minute—an immediate...

Between 1830 and 1835, Gioachino Rossini composed a series of arias and duets intended for the cultivated salons of Parisian society, where he was a celebrated and much-admired presence. These pieces were published collectively in 1835 under the title Soirées Musicales . Among them, La Danza stands out as one of the most brilliant and exuberant examples. Written in the lively spirit of the eighteenth-century tarantella, La Danza draws directly on the rhythmic vitality of the Neapolitan folk tradition. From the outset, the orchestra establishes the scene with the frenetic pulse characteristic of the Tarantella Napoletana , a dance form immensely popular at the time. The tenor enters with an impressively sustained opening note, immediately capturing attention before plunging wholeheartedly into the whirlwind energy of the piece. The percussion section—featuring cymbal, drum, and triangle—enhances the music’s exuberant and noisy brilliance, reinforcing its festive character without ove...

Portrait of Gioachino Rossini, whose natural brilliance and fearless mastery reshaped the art of opera. At the age of thirty-seven, having already composed thirty-nine operas, Gioachino Rossini declared his creative saturation and withdrew permanently from the genre that had both glorified him and been glorified by him. It was a bold decision—one he never reversed for the rest of his life. True to his nature, Rossini redirected his energy toward the pleasures that ranked highest alongside music: beautiful women and exquisite food. Spirited, perceptive, and instinctively social, he adapted effortlessly to every environment, quickly becoming both welcome and admired. He composed with astonishing speed and singular ease, yet his works reveal no trace of carelessness or haste. Rossini’s music flows with effortless naturalness, each phrase proclaiming the abundance of his innate gifts. Free from the anxiety of creative struggle, he produced music that radiates brightness, vitality, and r...