The New Conqueror
Donald Macleod presents five takes on the life and music of Gioachino Rossini. Today, Rossini is seen through the enthusiastic but distorting lens of 19th-century writer Stendhal.
This week, Donald Macleod presents five takes on the life and music of Gioachino Rossini. Today, Rossini seen through the enthusiastic but distorting lens of the writer Stendahl.
鈥淟ight, lively, amusing, never wearisome but seldom exalted 鈥� Rossini would appear to have been brought into this world for the express purpose of conjuring up visions of ecstatic delight in the commonplace soul of the Average Man.鈥� 鈥� a typically ambivalent pronouncement by the composer鈥檚 earliest biographer. Baptised Marie-Henri Beyle, Stendahl is best known today as a writer of fiction, and there鈥檚 a substantial fictive element about his biography of the world鈥檚 greatest living Italian composer, written when his subject, already an international celebrity, was less than halfway through his life. Nonetheless, Stendahl provides an eyewitness account of Rossini鈥檚 life in its busiest and most productive period, and while he can be an infuriatingly unreliable guide, he鈥檚 also a delightful and, ultimately, indispensible one.
Tancredi; Act 1 Scene 5, 鈥楧i tanti palpiti鈥�
Marilyn Horne, mezzo soprano (Tancredi)
Teatro La Fenice Orchestra
Ralf Weikert, conductor
La pietra del paragon; Act 2, extract:
鈥� 鈥楢 caccia o mio Signore鈥� (chorus)
鈥� 鈥極h come il fosco impetuoso nembo鈥� / 鈥楺uell鈥檃lme pupille鈥� (Giocondo))
Jos茅 Carerras, tenor (Giocondo)
The Clarion Concerts Orchestra and Chorus
Newell Jenkins, conductor
L鈥橧taliana in Algeri; Act 1 Scene 4 (finale)
Teresa Berganza, mezzo soprano (Isabella)
Fernando Corena, bass (Mustaf脿)
Rolando Panerai, baritone (Taddeo)
Paolo Montarsolo, bass (Haly)
Luigi Alva, tenor (Lindoro)
Giuliana Tavolaccini, soprano (Elvira)
Mit矛 Truccato Pace, mezzo soprano (Zulma)
Florence Maggio Musicale Chorus and Orchestra
Silvio Varviso, conductor
Mos茅 in Egitto; Act 3
Lorenzo Regazzo, bass (Mos茅)
Akie Amou, soprano (Elc矛a)
Karen Bandelow, mezzo soprano (Amenofi)
Giorgio Trucco, tenor (Aronne)
Wojtek Gierlach, bass (Faraone)
Giuseppe Fedeli, tenor (Mambre)
Sa Pietro a Majella Chorus
W眉rttemberg Philharmonic Orchestra
Antonino Fogliani, conductor
Produced by Chris Barstow for 大象传媒 Wales
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Music Played
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Gioachino Rossini
Tancredi: Act 1, Scene 5
Singer: Marilyn Horne. Orchestra: La Fenice Theatre Venice Orchestra. Conductor: Ralf Weikert.- SONY 88985470352.
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Gioachino Rossini
La Pietra del paragone: A caccia, O mio Signore
Singer: Jos茅 Carreras. Choir: The Clarion Choir. Orchestra: Clarion Music Society. Conductor: Newell Jenkins.- VANGUARD 08 9031 73.
- VANGUARD.
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Gioachino Rossini
L' Italiana in Algeri: Act 1 Finale
Singer: Teresa Berganza. Singer: Fernando Corena. Singer: Rolando Panerai. Singer: Luigi Alva. Singer: Giuliana Tavolaccini. Singer: Mit矛 Truccato Pace. Orchestra: Florence Maggio Musicale Orchestra. Choir: Florence Maggio Musicale Chorus. Conductor: Silvio Varviso.- DECCA 417 828-2.
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Gioachino Rossini
Mose in Egitto: Act 3
Singer: Lorenzo Regazzo. Singer: Akie Amou. Singer: Karen Bandelow. Singer: Giorgio Trucco. Choir: Sa Pietro A Majella Chorus. Orchestra: W眉rttembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen. Conductor: Antonino Fogliani.- NAXOS 8.660220-21.
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