Composer of the Week - Gioachino Rossini - Episode 1

Rossini’s operatic career got underway in 1810 with La cambiale di matrimonio – the first, melodious gust of a musical whirlwind that was to blow unabated for 20 years, then die down as abruptly as it had sprung up. When he retired from operatic composition at the age of 37, he had more than three dozen operas to his credit, yet relatively few of them have kept a place in the repertoire. This week, Donald Macleod turns his attention to Rossini’s forgotten operatic masterpieces, starting, today, with his one-act farsa, Il signor Bruschino. But first – and for the only time this week – a word from a rather more familiar character … Il barbiere di Siviglia, Act I scene 1, ‘Largo al factotum’ (extract) Sesto Bruscantini (Figaro ) / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Vittorio Gui (cond) EMI 724356776227 CD1 T7 Il Signor Bruschino, Sinfonia English Chamber Orchestra / Ion Marin (cond) Deutsche Gramophon 435865-2 T11 Il Signor Bruschino, No.1 Aria: ‘Deh tu m’assisti amore’ (Florville) Duettino: ‘Marianna!’ – ‘Voi signore!’ (Florville, Marianna) Recitativo: ‘Ferma … ascolta … ‘ (Florville, Sofia) Duettino: ‘Quant’è dolce a un’alma amante’ (Sofia, Florville) Kathleen Battle (Sofia), Jennifer Larmore (Marianna), Frank Lopardo (Florville) / English Chamber Orchestra / Ion Marin (cond) Deutsche Gramophon 435865-2 T2 Il Signor Bruschino, Nos.2 & 3 No.2 Duetto: ‘Io danari vi darò’ (Florville, Filiberto) Recitativo: ‘A noi. Su trasformiamoci’ (Florville) No.3 Cavatina: ‘Nel teatro del gran mondo’ (Gaudenzio) Frank Lopardo (Florville), Michele Pertusi (Filiberto), Samuel Ramey (Gaudenzio) / English Chamber Orchestra / Ion Marin (cond) Deutsche Gramophon 435865-2 T4-6 Il Signor Bruschino, No.4 Terzetto: ‘Per un figlio già pentito’ (Gaudenzio, Bruschino, Florville) Frank Lopardo (Florville), Claudio Desderi (Bruschino), Samuel Ramey (Gaudenzio) / English Chamber Orchestra / Ion Marin (cond) Deutsche Gramophon 435865-2 T8 Il Signor Bruschino, Nos. 7 & 8 No.7 Duetto: ‘È un bel nodo che due cori’ (Gaudenzio, Sofia) Recitativo: ‘Ah che scoperta!’ (Bruschino, Florville) No.8 Finale: ‘Ebben, ragion, dovere’ (Gaudenzio, Bruschino, Florville, Sofia, Marianna, Filiberto, Figlio Bruschino) Kathleen Battle (Sofia), Jennifer Larmore (Marianna), Frank Lopardo (Florville), Claudio Desderi (Bruschino), Samuel Ramey (Gaudenzio), Octavio Arévalo (Figlio Bruschino) / English Chamber Orchestra / Ion Marin (cond) Deutsche Gramophon 435865-2 T14-16