Rossini: Eduardo e Cristina (Live)

Rossini's little-known opera Eduardo e Cristina was premiered in 1819 to great acclaim, yet it did not retain its place in the repertoire. The score combines some original arias and choruses with numbers from earlier operas including Ermione. This revival at the Rossini festival in Wildbad of 2017 – in a German spa town where Rossini once stayed – is now released by Naxos. Gianluigi Gelmetti conducts Virtuosi Brunensis and the Camerata Bach Choir Poznań.

Featuring

Gianluigi Gelmetti
Kenneth Tarver
Silvia Dalla Benetta
Baurzhan Anderzhanov
Xiang Xu
Laura Polverelli

Virtuosi Brunensis
Camerata Bach Choir Poznań
Gioachino Rossini

Did you know?

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Critical Reception

The term "centone" became pejorative in the Romantic period, as the concept of a composer shifted from artisan to artist, valuing unique, heartfelt creations over works cobbled together from existing material.

Notable Performances

At its premiere in Venice in 1819, "Eduardo e Cristina" was a great success, enjoying over 100 productions across Europe and even in New York for about 20 years.

Composition History

No autograph manuscript of "Eduardo e Cristina" exists, likely because copyists stitched together existing musical pieces into a new work, which was then sent to Venice for staging.

Historical Context

The practice of creating "centoni" (or "pasticci") by assembling works from fragments of different authors or inserting new pieces into existing works was common in the 18th century.

Composition History

Rossini composed "Eduardo e Cristina" as a "centone" (a work assembled from pre-existing pieces) using music from at least four earlier operas and a recycled libretto, because he was pressed for time.

Critical Reception

"Eduardo e Cristina" is considered Rossini's "forgotten opera" due to its "centone" nature, being the last Rossini opera to receive a stage production (in 1997) and the least recorded.