# The genius of Rossini’s “Il Viaggio a Reims”



## ALT (Mar 1, 2021)

To these ears, the genius that is Rossini manifests itself best in two works: in _Il Viaggio a Reims_ and in his final masterpiece, _Guglielmo Tell_. Other than these two, his other works fail to move my needle, not even his ubiquitous _Il Barbiere di Siviglia_. However, I realize I may be missing something more so I am open to suggestions. Your thoughts on the matter are?

For your delight, here are a few excerpts on film of _Il Viaggio a Reims_, from Berlin, 1992. Those ensembles, wow! I know there is another video from Pesaro from the same year, with some of the same cast members such as Abbado, Studer and Ramey. If anyone is aware of how and where to obtain it, please private message me. Thank you.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

My favorite Rossini opera is "Tancredi".


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## ALT (Mar 1, 2021)

schigolch said:


> My favorite Rossini opera is "Tancredi".


How so? I didn't mention _Semiramide_, another work of his that just won't rock my boat. Can't figure that one out.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

How not?........


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## ALT (Mar 1, 2021)

schigolch said:


> How not?........


It drags, dramatically and musically. Save for _Tell_, I think Rossini's forte is not in the opera seria space. I have heard some people complain that _Tell_ sags, but not for me.


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## Azol (Jan 25, 2015)

Rossini was a master of comic opera (L'italiana is probably my favorite but Le Comte Ory comes close - I highly prefer it to pasticcio of Il viaggio a Reims) but his opera seria output is even more powerful - Mose, L'assedio di Corinto, Tell - these are masterpieces and works of true genius.


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## ALT (Mar 1, 2021)

Azol said:


> Rossini was a master of comic opera (L'italiana is probably my favorite but Le Comte Ory comes close - I highly prefer it to pasticcio of Il viaggio a Reims) but his opera seria output is even more powerful - Mose, L'assedio di Corinto, Tell - these are masterpieces and works of true genius.


Appreciate hearing this. I may have to reconsider some of my biases against Rossini. So much and so little time.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

I have enjoyed quite a few *Semiramide* productions live or on video presentations from the Metropolitan Opera or European houses and have two recordings, the Sutherland/Horne on Decca and the Ion Marin with Studer, which I enjoyed listening to many times,

My love of *Semiramide* started with the San Francisco opera's 1980s production with Caballe, Horne, Dalmacio Gonzales/Bonynge. Since I befriended one of the singers, I saw every performance and grew to love the opera.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Azol said:


> Rossini was a master of comic opera (L'italiana is probably my favorite but Le Comte Ory comes close - I highly prefer it to pasticcio of Il viaggio a Reims) but his opera seria output is even more powerful - Mose, L'assedio di Corinto, Tell - these are masterpieces and works of true genius.


My first and only time at Teatro La Fenice in Venice was a quirky production of Rossini's *Mose'*, from which I unfortunately don't remember any music. But the ornate theatre was gorgeous, at odds with the modern sets, a series of black boxes in which the singers were confined. Didn't get it.


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## Dick Johnson (Apr 14, 2020)

There is a very enjoyable production of Il Viaggio a Reims from La Scala in 2009. It is available for streaming on MediciTV. The La Scala production did a nice job of reminding us that the opera's original purpose was an entertainment to mark the coronation of Charles X - full of light fun and musicality while still referencing the rulers and states of that time.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

I read somewhere that he reused about half of the music for *Le Comte Ory*, which is another sparkling work and quite delightful.


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## ALT (Mar 1, 2021)

Thank you all. Could you please share recording recommendations for Tancredi, Mosè in Egitto, Le Comte Ory, L’assedio di Corinto, and L’italiana in Algeri?


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## Azol (Jan 25, 2015)

ALT said:


> Thank you all. Could you please share recording recommendations for Tancredi, Mosè in Egitto, Le Comte Ory, L'assedio di Corinto, and L'italiani in Algeri?


I'll begin with *L'assedio di Corinto* since it was one of my recommendations.






This La Scala 1969 live performance is in worse sound that Sills' 1974 EMI studio one, but I still prefer live experience, Sills doing some magic here. Studio recording is also highly recommended if you are looking for quality audio. Horne and Bonisolli join Sills in live version, Verrett and Theyard in studio version, Bonisolli gets my vote.
Of course there is also original French version with Luciana Serra on Nuova Era, but, in my opinion, it doesn't come close to the one above. Just mentioning it in case you want to hear the opera in its original form.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

I'll go wit the studio version .



Tancredi



L'Italiana in Algeri


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## Dick Johnson (Apr 14, 2020)

ALT said:


> Thank you all. Could you please share recording recommendations for Tancredi, Mosè in Egitto, Le Comte Ory, L'assedio di Corinto, and L'italiani in Algeri?


Tancredi: There are a few good recordings but I keep coming back to the Abbado on RCA Victor. There is a more star-studded Marilyn Horne recording but the RCA is a superior performance in my opinion - and it has the added bonus of including the alternate ending (very different) as an appendix.

Mose in Egitto: The Claudio Scimone on Phillips with Ruggero Raimondi and June Anderson is top notch. Highly recommended recording of a great opera. I wish there was a really good video streaming available for this. The Pesaro festival version had good singing but was too regie for my taste.

L'assedio di Corinto: There is a Thomas Schippers recording from 1969 with Beverly Sills but the sound quality is not very good. I prefer the Jean-Luc Tingaud recording of the French language version ("La Siege de Corinthe") on Naxos. The sound quality also leaves a bit to be desired here. This one is not as well-served on recording as the others that you had mentioned.

L'Italiana in Algeri: Lots of good recordings of this one - including some good video streams. My favorite audio recording is the Silvio Varviso recording on Decca with Teresa Berganza and Luigi Alva.

The Phillips label has released a series very good recordings of Rossini's operas from the Naples years - if you have the interest, in addition to Mose in Egitto mentioned above, I would suggest trying Maometto II, Otello, and Elisabetta, Regina d'Ingilterra on Phillps. Also, there are excellent and relatively contemporary recordings of Mathilde di Shabran and Il Turco in Italia on Decca.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

The old Glyndebourne recording of *Le Comte Ory* under Gui has a high-spirited sparkle you rarely hear in music making today.


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## ALT (Mar 1, 2021)

Wow, excellent. Thank you ALL! :tiphat:


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