Rossini: Excerpts from "Péchés de vieillesse", Vol. 7

Featuring

Marco Berrini
Alessandro Marangoni
Alessandro di Masi
Sabino Manzo
Marco Olivero
Antonio Masotti

Ars Cantica Consort
Ars Cantica Choir
Gioachino Rossini

Did you know?

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Recording & Production

This album features excerpts from six different volumes of Rossini's Péchés de vieillesse: Volumes I, II, III, X, XI, and XIV.

Composer Biography

Gioachino Rossini's father was a brass-player and French horn teacher, while his mother was a singer, leading Rossini to perform with them as a boy.

Instruments

The recording uses a Portative Organ by Giulio Fratini, made in Porto San Giorgio (Fermo), Italy, in 2012.

Composition History

Rossini's Péchés de vieillesse (Sins of Old Age) were composed during his last ten years, some based on earlier works, others for informal performances, and some as musical 'obiter dicta'.

Performer Biography

Alessandro Marangoni, the pianist and organist on this recording, is currently recording the complete piano works of Rossini for Naxos.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Rossini grouped some of his Péchés de vieillesse as 'Un peu de tout. Recueil de 56 morceaux semi-comiques pour le piano', dedicating them to 'pianists of the fourth class, to which I have the honour to belong'.

Compositional Technique

Rossini's 'Cantemus' is an example of Palestrina counterpoint for unaccompanied double choir, to which he added the comment 'Voilà du temps perdu!' (What a waste of time!).