Hidden treasures - Gioacchino Rossini - Matilde di Shabran (1821) - "Dallo stupore oppresso"

Painting: "The nightly intrigue" by Gaston La Touche.

History: After the premiere of "Maometto II" on the 3rd of December, 1820, Rossini went to Rome where he had agreed to write a new work to open the Teatro Apollo's Carnival Season on the 26th of December. Though he had already started on the composition of the opera in Naples, it was obvious that he wouldn't be able to finish "Matilde", partially because of an unsuitable libretto. Ferretti, the librettist of "La Cenerentola", was brought in and revised an earlier adaptation, at times simply changing the names. The result was a long melodramma giocoso that even the speedy Rossini could not ingest in the short time available, enlisting the young composer Pacini to assist him by writing three numbers (all these were replaced with original music the next autumn). He did, however, limit self-borrowings to the overture, taken from "Eduardo e Cristina", a duet and chorus. The delayed Rome premiere at the Teatro Apollo on the 24th of February, 1821, met a lukewarm reception; however, hereinafter the opera gained momentum, being staged in London by 1823 and in New York by 1834.

Narrative: The complicated libretto, based on a number of courses, was one of the favorite picking points of the opera's critics: Corradino (tenor) is a tyrannical nobleman, openly hateful of women and poets. All changes when his castle is visited by Matilde (soprano), daughter of a former comrade-in-arms, who manages to make her stern host fall madly in love with her. However, a jealous local Countess (contralto) falsely accuses the heroine of setting Edoardo (contralto), the son of Corradino's enemy, free from prison. Corradino sentences Matilde to death by being thrown off a cliff, and orders Isidoro (bass), a somewhat manic poet, to do the dirty deed. After the machinations are discovered, Corradino is horrified. However, Matilde promptly turns up, very much alive, and all ends well. Though the characters are wonderfully over-the-top, Ferretti's libretto is certainly over-long (the introduction of the cast takes an hour) and dramatically incoherent.

Music: "Matilde" is musically one of Rossini's quirkiest comedies, leaving the listener amazed at how the composer was able to write so much new music. One of the most apparent features of the opera (similar to "Il turco") is its remarkable focus on ensemble work: eight elaborate ensembles (running from duet to septet) against four arias, three of them for secondary characters! In the case of the present upload we will focus on two movements from the penultimate quintet of Act One. The importance of the ensemble lies in the fact that it actually forms the beginning of the opera's action proper, as it is during this number that the main antagonists-turned-lovers first meet. The first movement to be presented in this case (the preceding quartettino and the connecting scenes are cut) is the andante concentrato, a classical Italian suspension-of-time, which is effectively built around two statements of the gradually blooming main theme. Corradino, shocked to find out that the identity of the woman he has just insulted, begins an airy, unsure arioso over a subdued bass line and a constant string gust. Separate wind lines form a complementary motive that gives the melody a slightly ironic touch. A hushed duettino for Aliprando and Girando follows, as both notice a change in their master: the bass line is transformed into a string pizzicato, while the basses engage in a breathless, highly florid melody. Matilde then continues the piece by repeating the main theme, while Corradino, joined by the Countess, states what is essentially a light variation on it. The basses' duettino is repeated, though this time with the remaining soloists adding their voices to the bass line. The closing coda is remarkably long, culminating in four consecutive cadenzas for Corradino, Matilde, Aliprando and Ginardo that lend an atmosphere of striking unreality to the finish. After Corradino promises his protection to Matilde, the cast launches into a stretta of the utmost brilliance. Again we centre on the two protagonists each of whom sings a complete verse of the stretta, richly adorned with coloratura and set to a vivid string bass line which is graced by the telling appearances of the winds, leading to a breakneck patter for the basses and a wild, grand flourish of a coda. One of Rossini's most striking ensembles.

Recording: The 2006 Decca recording of the complete score (as performed live during the 2004 Pesaro festival) is wonderfully performed by all involved, ranging from the clear direction of Riccardo Frizza and the fresh playing of the Orquesta Sinfonica de Gallicia to the involved cast of regular Rossinians.

Matilde di Shabran - Annick Massis,
Contessa d'Arco - Chiara Chialli,
Corradino - Juan Diego Florez,
Aliprando (bass), the castle physician - Marco Vinco,
Ginardo (bass), keeper of the tower - Carlo Lepore.

Hope you'll enjoy =).

Category:

Music

Tags:

• belcanto
• rossini
• classic
• coloratura

[trov85]

Thank you for all your hard work

[dracoanne2]

"Dallo stupore oppresso" is the most delightful "aria" of this opera.

I am fan of JUAN DIEGO FLOREZ

Thank you very much LindoroRossi for this video.

[mgarrincha333]

wonderful...

Puno Hvala !

[vectissimus]

Delightful - your channel is a joy and an education. Thank you so much.

[Madrabran]

Grazie mille , encore .

Love your channel.

[tukilala]

Bravo !!!! 5 *****

[stanthology]

A delightful life! Thanks!

[Teonareine]

Wonderful music ! Thanks.

Have a nice week !

Teona.