Program Notes Overture to L'italiana In

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PROGRAM NOTES OVERTURE TO L'ITALIANA IN ALGERI (1813) Gioachino Rossini, 1792 - 1868 While the history of music is studded with youthful geniuses, few accomplished as wide or merry acceptance as Rossini. At the age of 21 he had written and produced a serious opera – Tancredi – that had all of Venice talking. In the same year, he achieved even greater and happier fame for the frolicking L'italiana in Algeri. Soon after its premiere, the opera was produced simultaneously in Venice, Brescia, Treviso, and Vicenza, an almost unheard of measure of success in those days. The plot is pseudo-oriental in character, dealing with an Italian lady, Isabella, whose lover is imprisoned by the Bey of Algiers. Opera plots being what they are, it is not too difficult to guess the major outline from here on. Isabella goes to Algeria in disguise, causes the Bey to fall in love with her, and outwits him in accomplishing her lover's release with an assist from the favorite wife of the Bey. The overture is sprightly in the style of the Italian opera buffa. Rossini's favorite device, a slowly rising crescendo to a tremendous volume, is well illustrated in this overture. He learned early that this could be relied upon to "bring down the house" – and it still does. SYMPHONY NO. 4 IN A MAJOR, Op. 90, "Italian" (1833) Felix Mendelssohn, 1809 - 1847 Mendelssohn was barely twenty years old when he began a tour of Europe; following his visit to Scotland, where he conceived the initial ideas for the Hebrides Overture and "Scottish" Symphony, young Felix went to Italy -- falling completely under the spell of the country's warmth and color -- and was soon at work on his "Italian" Symphony. In a letter dated February 22, 1831, Mendelssohn wrote from Rome to his sister Fanny: "...The Italian Symphony is making great progress. It will be the most mature thing I have ever done. The last movement, Presto, will be the gayest. For the slow movement I have not yet found anything exactly right...." The actual composition of the symphony began amidst the sights and sounds of Rome and Naples in 1830 and was completed in 1833 under the gray skies of Berlin. Interestingly, the work actually caused the composer some great difficulties before it was finished. After the premiere in London on May 13, 1833, Mendelssohn felt that the work needed revising and did a major .

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170booklet 6/8/09 15:21 Page 1 ALSO AVAILABLE on signumclassics Spanish Heroines Silvia Tro Santafé Orquesta Sinfónica de Navarra Julian Reynolds conductor SIGCD152 Since her American debut in the early nineties, Silvia Tro Santafé has become one of the most sought after coloratura mezzos of her generation. On this disc we hear the proof of her operatic talents, performing some of the greatest and most passionate arias of any operatic mezzo soprano. Available through most record stores and at www.signumrecords.com For more information call +44 (0) 20 8997 4000 170booklet 6/8/09 15:21 Page 3 Rossini Mezzo Rossini Mezzo gratitude, the composer wrote starring roles for her in five of his early operas, all but one of them If it were not for the operas of Gioachino Rossini, comedies. The first was the wickedly funny Cavatina (Isabella e Coro, L’Italiana in Algeri) the repertory for the mezzo soprano would be far L’equivoco stravagante premiered in Bologna in 1. Cruda sorte! Amor tiranno! [4.26] less interesting. Opera is often thought of as 1811. Its libretto really reverses the definition of following generic lines and the basic opera plot opera quotes above. In this opera, the tenor stops Coro, Recitativo e Rondò (Isabella, L’Italiana in Algeri) has been described as “the tenor wants to marry the baritone from marrying the mezzo and does it 2. Pronti abbiamo e ferri e mani (Coro), Amici, in ogni evento ... (Isabella) [2.45] the soprano and bass tries to stop them”. by telling him that she is a castrato singer in drag.
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COPYRIGHT AND USE OF THIS THESIS This thesis must be used in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. Reproduction of material protected by copyright may be an infringement of copyright and copyright owners may be entitled to take legal action against persons who infringe their copyright. Section 51 (2) of the Copyright Act permits an authorized officer of a university library or archives to provide a copy (by communication or otherwise) of an unpublished thesis kept in the library or archives, to a person who satisfies the authorized officer that he or she requires the reproduction for the purposes of research or study. The Copyright Act grants the creator of a work a number of moral rights, specifically the right of attribution, the right against false attribution and the right of integrity. You may infringe the author’s moral rights if you: - fail to acknowledge the author of this thesis if you quote sections from the work - attribute this thesis to another author - subject this thesis to derogatory treatment which may prejudice the author’s reputation For further information contact the University’s Director of Copyright Services sydney.edu.au/copyright Mauro Giuliani (1781–1829): Instrumental and Vocal Style in Le Sei Rossiniane Giuseppe Zangari A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Master of Music (Performance) Sydney Conservatorium of Music University of Sydney 2013 Statement of originality I declare that the research presented here is my own original work and has not been submitted to any other institution for the award of a degree.
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