Classical 20: Rossini’s Il Turco in Italia

(A) Introduction

I searched on the Naxos Music Library for any recording featuring Myrtò Papatanasiu and I only came up with this one.  So I’m going to inflict it on you because Myrtò is my new best friend and favourite opera singer.

(B) Gioachino Antonio Rossini (1792-1868)

Rossini was another Italian opera composer.  He was born on a February 29 (leap year!) to musical parents and was exposed to music right from the start.  He was successful and prolific – he wrote 39 operas in total in a career that started in Italy and moved to Paris.  His best known operas are the Barber of Seville (which he wrote at 24 years of age) and William Tell.  His first opera was performed when he was only eighteen, and his breakthrough success was Tancredi, performed first in 1813.  He retired from composing operas when he was only 37.

Classical 19: Verdi’s La Traviata – Pt. 2

(A) Introduction

Act I is all a big party, where Violetta and Alfredo meet.  Violetta considers Alfredo’s offer, and despite her reservations, falls for him.  Good times.

 

In Act II Scene I, some time has passed – and the two lovebirds are living an idyllic life together.  But there’s trouble on the way (what, you expected a happy ending?) as papa Germont shows up.  He convinces Violetta to leave, and after much anguish, she does.  It’s a scene right out of a Latin American soap opera.

Classical 18: Verdi’s La Traviata – Pt. 1

(A) Introduction

Earlier this year I got hitched, and we went to Rome for part of our honeymoon.  Our hotel was right around the corner from the Teatro Dell’Opera di Roma – a nice old opera house reconstructed by the fascists.  Italy being the epicenter of opera, and Rome being the epicenter of Italy, I thought it would be nifty to see an opera while we were in town.  (Plus, my wife got a chance to wear her jaw-droppingly sexy red dress).  We were in luck – we got booth tickets for a proper Italian work, La Traviata.  It was sumptuous inside, and the performance was really good.