Son of a horn
At the peak of his fame, Rossini suddenly disappears from the public eye. What led him to this moment? Donald Macleod explores the composer's humble beginnings.
Gioachino Rossini, born in Italy in 1792, began writing music at the age of 12. His first opera was performed when he was 18, and he wrote 37 more in the span of 20 years. Then, at the peak of his fame, the composer suddenly disappeared from the public eye. What led him to this moment? This week, Donald Macleod traces Rossini's career, from his humble beginnings as the son of a horn player, learning to write music in order to support his family, to travelling the world and rubbing shoulders with royalty. We'll hear the truth behind his mysterious retirement and discover what made him return to composing, at the very end of his life.
In today's programme, we meet Rossini's mother and father, a self-taught soprano and a horn-player who was in and out of prison throughout the composer's youth. Both of them uniquely inspired Rossini, and we can hear their influence in the music he began writing at just 12 years old.
Il barbiere di Siviglia
Act I: Cavatina: Largo al factotum della citta
Peter Mattei, baritone (Figaro)
Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra
Lawrence Renes, conductor
La cambiale di matrimonio:
Sinfonia; Scene 14: Finale: Portero cosi il cappello; Scene 15: Qual ira, oh ciel, vβaccende; Final Scene: Vi prego
Vito Priante, bass (Tobia Mill)
Julija Samsonova, soprano (Fanny)
Daniele Zanfardino, tenor (Edoardo Milfort)
Giulio Mastrototaro, bass (Slook)
Tomasz Wija, bass (Norton)
Francesca Russo Ermolli, mezzo-soprano (Clarina)
Massimiliano Tanzini, harpsichord
Wurttemberg Philharmonic Orchestra
Christopher Franklin, conductor
Sonata a quattro No. 2 in A Major
Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna
Riccardo Chailly, conductor
Sinfonia in D - "al Conventelloβ
Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna
Riccardo Chailly, conductor
Il Signor Bruschino
Sinfonia; N.3 Cavatina: "Nel teatro del gran mondoβ
Samuel Ramey, bass (Gaudenzio)
English Chamber Orchestra
Ion Marin, conductor
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Gioachino Rossini
Il barbiere di Siviglia, Act I: Cavatina: Largo al factotum della citta
Singer: Peter Mattei. Orchestra: Stockholm Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Lawrence Renes.- BIS : SACD-1749.
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Gioachino Rossini
La cambiale di matrimonio (excerpt)
Performer: Massimiliano Tanzini. Singer: Vito Priante. Singer: Julija Samsonova. Singer: Daniele Zanfardino. Singer: Giulio Mastrototaro. Singer: Tomasz Wija. Singer: Francesca Russo Ermolli. Orchestra: WΓΌrttembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen. Conductor: Christopher Franklin.- NAXOS : 8.-660302.
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Gioachino Rossini
Sonata a quattro No. 2 in A Major
Orchestra: Bologna Municipal Theatre Orchestra. Conductor: Riccardo Chailly.- DECCA : 436-832-2.
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Gioachino Rossini
Sinfonia in D, 'al Conventello'
Orchestra: Bologna Municipal Theatre Orchestra. Conductor: Riccardo Chailly.- DECCA.
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Gioachino Rossini
Il Signor Bruschino (Sinfonia; N.3 Cavatina: "Nel teatro del gran mondo")
Singer: Kathleen Battle. Singer: Jennifer Larmore. Singer: Frank Lopardo. Singer: Samuel Ramey. Singer: Claudio Desderi. Singer: Octavio Arevalo. Singer: Michele Pertusi. Orchestra: English Chamber Orchestra. Conductor: Ion Marin.- DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON : 435-865-2.
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Broadcast
- Mon 5 Jun 2023 12:00ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 3
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