Gioachino Rossini - Ricciardo e Zoraide - "Cruda sorte!" (Bruce Ford, Nelly Miricioiu & Della Jones)

The third and final trio of pieces opens with a terzet from "Ricciardo e Zoraide".

Narratively, the piece starts just as Agorante has announced to Zoraide and Zomira, his wife, his decision to add the former as a second wife to his family. The first section effectively establishes each of the protagonists' emotions: Zomira's anger at having to share her husband; Zoraide's personal angst at being forced to marry against love; and Agorante's confusion and then rage at being defied by "mere women". The following tempo di mezzo finds Agorante demanding a straight answer from Zoraide who reminds the warrior of his duty towards his first wife which angers both Agorante and Zomira who is unable to voice her fury to the face of her husband. The terzet ends with a confused allegro for all three.

The terzet is certainly unusual. Only the final allegro section is anything close to something traditional. The whole preceding scene never truly becomes one of those suspensions over time which we have seen in other pieces and, in general, in Italian opera. Instead, Rossini creates a very tense emotional atmosphere by giving each of the three soloists a succession of short phrases: on one hand, these short exclamations form a dialogue between the poor Zoraide, the furious Zomira and the rather barbaric Agorante as the latter waits Zoraide's answer; on the other, only a handful of the phrases are actually noted as spoken in full voice, for the most part, the characters are left to their respective emotions, scarcely able to understand the situation. Another interesting feature in the first section is the use of a female chorus which, off stage, praises Zoraide's "happy fate": strikingly, the three main characters continue their dialogue over the chorus' humming. Again, a most unusual piece and certainly one of the highlights of the opera.

Bruce Ford and Nelly Miricioiu who we have already heard in a Quartet from Act Two of this very same opera are joined by the wonderful Della Jones as Zomira. Enjoy :)!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Rossini
• coloratura
• belcanto
• classical

[90lysander]

Definitely the best part of the opera I've heard so far. Della Jones is beast!

[Antenorix]

@agota1988

Right you are! That's the most catchy

melody of the whole opera (in my humble

opinion)! Notice the deep notes Bruce

Ford has to sing! He does it marvellous!

[agota1988]

This piece is going to my favorites.