The booklet accompanying
this issue quotes Stendal’s Vie de Rossini
(Life of Rossini) extolling the composer’s
popularity in Paris. It was to that
city that Rossini went in 1823 after
his successes in Naples and where he
had taken operatic form to new dramatic
heights. Rossini left Italy as the most
popular composer of his time. Aged 31
he had written 34 operas, the best of
which formed the backbone of the repertoire
in the theatres of his native country.
Rossini became the director of the Theatre
Italian in Paris. He was contracted
to present and compose works for his
own theatre and The Opera. Rossini staged
productions, often with new music, of
his most advanced Neapolitan operas
including Semiramide and La Donna del
Lago. He also composed the last and
most romantic of his operas, William
Tell, which was premiered at the Opera
in 1829. It was his last operatic composition.
He retired at the height of his fame
and powers.
This collection of
nine overtures titled ‘The Great Rossini
Overtures’ includes those from the major
works named above (trs. 6, 8 and 9).
Certainly eight of the piece featured
would be in most definitions of his
greatest, most substantial and popular
overtures. The exception is the rarity
Eduardo e Cristina (tr. 4). This two-act
work was the composer’s 28th
opera. It was presented at Venice’s
Teatro St Benedetto in April 1819 some
six months before La Donna del Lago.
Although the opera itself contained
much re-cycled work, the overture was
original and is striking in melody and
structure.
Rossini’s recycling
of his overtures is well known, even
notorious seen from today’s perspective.
As the booklet explains the overture
was intended to settle the audience
chatter in readiness for the arrival
of the singers. The concept of the overture
as a vehicle of themes or motifs related
to the opera in question was to come
later with Verdi and Wagner. Twenty
or so years ago in the UK, operatic
overtures were the bonne bouche of concerts
whose main dishes were a concerto and
symphony.
The period of LP and
CD brought about many collections of
overtures often devoted to one composer.
Several distinguished conductors have
set down collections of Rossini’s most
substantial and popular overtures, as
found on this CD. The most complete
collection in that by Neville Marriner
with the orchestra of St Martin’s in
the Fields on Philips which features
no fewer than 24. This might be considered
the definitive collection although it
should be realised that several of this
number are relatively brief preludes.
Riccardo Chailly on a Double Decca issue
features 14, missing out the Eduardo
e Cristina and La Donna del Lago included
here. Both the Philips and the Decca
issues have the smell of grease-paint
and theatre about them. Their larger
orchestral forces in comparison to those
here also add to the sonic impact although
it can be argued that smaller numbers
of players might better reflect practice
of the compositional period. What is
more important is the turn of the wrist
and springing rhythms that those conductors
bring.
These recordings are
well played in a rather straight-laced
manner. They are played more as orchestral
introductions to a concert than overtures
to an opera. Many will consider the
interpretations none the worse for that.
With his expanding work in the opera
pit, conductor Ola Rudner may look back
on this recording as work in progress.
Given the clear open recording there
is much to enjoy here even if the interpretations
are rather strait-laced.
Robert J Farr
Tasmanian
Symphony Orchestra/Ola Rudner 
