# Rossini's Péchés de vieillesse ("Sins of Old Age")



## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

This from Wiki:

_'Péchés de vieillesse ("Sins of Old Age") is a collection of 150 vocal and solo piano pieces by composer Gioachino Rossini, known traditionally for his operas. The pieces are grouped into fourteen unpublished albums under this self-deprecating and ironic title. The ordering of the pieces in the albums do not reflect the sequence or the dates of their composition, which range from 1857 to shortly before Rossini's death in 1868. The title Péchés de vieillesse was given by Rossini only to volumes V-IX, but has since been extended to the complete set.

The Péchés de vieillesse are salon music, though of a refined order, meant to be performed in the privacy of Rossini's drawing room at Passy. Volumes I, II, III and XI are vocal music to piano accompaniment. Volumes IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, X and XII are music for solo piano. Volume IX is for chamber ensemble or solo piano. Volumes XIII and XIV comprise vocal and non-vocal music.'_

I've been mildly intrigued by these works, perhaps prompted by the frippery of some of the titles which pre-date Satie by decades, but haven't investigated.

Are they worthy of attention as a body of work or are they merely smug self-indulgencies by a composer who no longer had the appetite or need to compose anything more substantial?

Thanks in advance for any replies.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Composed in 1863, and of which the composer quipped the piece was "the last of my péchés de vieillesse," the _Petite messe solennelle_ (for soloists, chorus, piano and harmonium) is anything but a slight salon-dimension bagatelle ;-)

I recommend it highly, in its original orchestration as above. [Imo, it is certainly one of his 'important' works, if not one of the most important of his works.]

I have not by any means heard or played through all the rest (did play _Petite messe solennelle_), but for such a prolific composer as Rossini was (something like two full-length operas cranked out year after year for about sixteen years) to then 'stop cold' after that constant stream of work -- which he did for a while, I imagine left him still with a need to write -- ergo, his _péchés de vieillesse._

You can hear a number of the shorter pieces assembled for another Diaghilev / Ballet Russes commission, as orchestrated by Ottorino Respighi, in the ballet _La Boutique fantasque._

As usual, about any and all repertoire, I recommend the listener check the music out and make up their own mind.


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