The opera L'Italiana in Algeri was described by Stendhal as "organized, total lunacy," embodying Rossini's most boisterous buffo style.
Composition History
L'Italiana in Algeri was Rossini's tenth opera, written just two and a half years after his operatic debut.
Historical Context
The patriotic verses in Isabella's rondo, though later interpreted politically, likely had more to do with the fashionable patriotic sentiment in French-influenced Venice in 1813.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Rossini was particular about the libretto, ensuring the opera's structure and the inner meaning of individual characters were right, rather than setting "any text at the drop of a hat."
Recording & Production
This recording of L'Italiana in Algeri uses the critical edition by Azio Corghi and was made live at the XXth Rossini in Wildbad Festival in 2008.
Critical Reception
A critic in 1813 prophetically declared that Rossini's L'Italiana in Algeri would be counted among the finest operas due to its genius and artistry.
Composition History
Rossini wrote L'Italiana in Algeri (The Italian Girl in Algiers) in an astonishingly short time, barely a month, when he was 21 years old.
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