Rossini's Ah! qual colpo (Larmore, Gimenez & Hagegard)

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The series of musical excepts from Giachino Rossini's operas, entitled "Master of Belcanto", continues with new uploads and a whole new concept. I decided to do something a bit different for my new upload: a compilation based on a single theme which is featured prominently in all selections. The first theme is love (what else :)?). The compilation is entitled: "Tornami a dir che m'ami". Originally, I had planned a more diverse program which would have included arias as well as duets. But when I saw the size of the content I wanted to upload (the remaining compilation is about two hours long), I decided to do love arias as a separate series. The chosen items include love scenes from the very first to the very last operas by Rossini. We start at "L'occasione fa il ladro" with a simple pastoral duet and finish at the beginning of the second act of "Guillaume Tell" with a romantic grand scena. Such an approach gives us a chance to understand how Rossini's composing style changed with each passing year. The presented excepts are listed below with some notes detailing their characteristics. As the whole compilation is quite large, I'm going to upload everything slowly. 1) «Se non m'inganna il core» for Alberto and Berenice from «L'occasione fa il ladro». http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5G7oEY... 2) «Quanto e dolce a un'alma amante» for Florville and Sofia from "Il Signor Bruschino". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhnGNd... 3) "L'aura che intorno spiri" for Amenaide and Tancredi from "Tancredi". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chud9_... 4) "Credete alle femmine" for Selim and Fiorilla from "Il turco in Italia". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Muw9K8... 5) "Quest'ultimo addio" for Torvaldo and Dorliska from "Torvaldo e Dorliska". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zocAyah02og 6) "Ah qual colpo" for Almaviva and Rosina (plus, Figaro) from "Il barbiere di Siviglia". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yk3uP2rlErY Yes, not a love duet per se. I included it as a sort of ironic love scene. Though the music for the pair of lovers is quite beautiful, it is full of phrases for Figaro where he tries to make the Count and Rosina start their escape. Furthermore, the whole piece, even the lyrical portions, fells a bit rushed, as if the composer was trying to show how the lovers are prolonging their proper exit. It also can be seen as a parody for many similar scenes, not the least, the similar duet for the Count and Rosina in Maestro Paisiello's account of the story. The piece is again multi-sectioned: three phrases put on to the same musical backdrop to depict the different feelings of the characters; a "moderato" where the lovers begin falling to the same feeling of bliss familiar from the first two selections of these series (Figaro tries to snap them out of it); and, finally, a very long and very difficult "cadence" for the Count and Rosina before Figaro notices the lanterns. Jennifer Larmore, Raul Gimenez and Hakan Hagegard bring the duet/terzet to life.

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Category: Music
Uploaded: May 3rd, 2008 @ 4:13 am
Author: LindoroRossini

Length: 04:32
Rating:
Views: 459

Tags: belcanto coloratura love rossini

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