Rossini's Ave Maria (su due Note) demonstrates an unexpected intensity of expression for a piece based on only two notes, showcasing a 'musical joke'.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Rossini's setting of the same text, 'Mi lagnerò tacendo' by Metastasio, in various ways both highlighted and eroded its meaning, questioning if it was a personal statement or an artistic exercise.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Rossini used the word 'anodin' (anodyne) for some pieces, which can mean both a tranquilizer (referring to music) and harmless or insignificant (referring to the text's interpretation).
Compositional Technique
The Gammes (Scales) pieces play with the 'Chinese scale', featuring ascending and descending chromatic scales, whole-tone scales, and even a French folk tune.
Composer Biography
Rossini dedicated the Musique Anodine (Anodyne Music) to his wife Olympe as a token of gratitude for her care during his long and terrible illness.
Composition History
This album concludes a monumental project to record all 200 individual works comprising Rossini's Péchés de vieillesse (Sins of Old Age).
Compositional Technique
Rossini occasionally set his entire signature, 'Gioachino Rossini', to music in his old age, as heard in the final piece of this recording.
