The Paris Opéra had a strict convention requiring an extensive dance interlude, or divertissement, in the third act of a grand opéra.
Composer Biography
Verdi composed the most opera ballets for the Paris Opéra, creating seven divertissements between 1847 and 1894 for works like Jérusalem, Les vêpres siciliennes, and Aida.
Recording & Production
The Münchner Rundfunkorchester, founded in 1952, is known for its diverse programming, including opera, operetta, modern sacred music, film music, and crossover projects.
Compositional Technique
Verdi's ballet music gave new impetus to the genre through catchy melodies, lively rhythms, chromatic effects, vivid gestures, and incredibly colorful orchestration.
Historical Context
In 19th-century Italian operas, ballets were usually separate works performed between or after the opera, often with no connection to the main operatic plot.
Performer Biography
Ivan Repušić, the conductor on this album, is the chief conductor of the Münchner Rundfunkorchester and is also the designated chief conductor of the Staatskapelle Weimar and general music director of the Leipzig Opera.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Italian opera composers, including Verdi, often reluctantly submitted to the French preference for extensive dance interludes, finding it difficult to create ballet music closely linked to the opera's drama.
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