Verdi gave new impetus to contemporary ballet music through catchy melodies, lively rhythms, chromatic effects, vivid gestures, and incredibly colorful orchestration.
Recording & Production
The Münchner Rundfunkorchester, founded in 1952, is known for its diverse programming, from opera to film music, and for bringing unjustly neglected works to light.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Italian opera composers, including Verdi, often reluctantly submitted to the French preference for extensive third-act dance interludes.
Historical Context
In 19th-century Italian operas, ballets were usually performed between acts or after the opera and often had little connection to the main work.
Performer Biography
Ivan Repušić, the conductor on this album, is the chief conductor of the Münchner Rundfunkorchester and is designated to become chief conductor of the Staatskapelle Weimar and General Music Director of the Leipzig Opera.
Composer Biography
Verdi composed the most opera ballets for the Paris Opéra, creating seven divertissements between 1847 and 1894.
Historical Context
The Paris Opéra had a strict convention requiring an extensive dance interlude, or divertissement, in the third act of a grand opéra.
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