Rossini: La gazza ladra - Overture

Gioacchino Rossini had been married to opera singer Isabel Colbrand for only a year when he was forced to revisit the old serious opera in the Rococo style since Colbrand only did sing serious operas. The result was Semiramide, in 1823, which had a cool reception. The next “real” opera –and the last one– would be Guillaume Tell, composed at age 37, in 1829. In the forty years remaining in his life, Rossini will never again compose a single opera.

Much has been speculated about the ultimate reason for this drastic and unprecedented decision in the life of a musician. At the peak of his fame and surrounded by the splendor of his glory, Rossini went silent and abandoned his craft forever.
It is true that the work demanded by the monumental opera Guillaume Tell was gigantic, becoming at times a task almost unbearable. So, it's not unlikely the maestro has decided to take a good break after the premiere.

Once settled in his villa on the outskirts of Paris in 1855, Rossini would only compose mainly small piano pieces to be given to his friends as presents. He would devote his time to enjoy every morning caring for the growing of the fruits of the earth, or trying his hands on delicacies arising from his other passion, gastronomy.
With affection and helpfullness, Olympe Pélissier, his new partner (Colbrand died in 1846), will take care of him admirably until the end of his days in 1868, without claiming, for her personal enjoyment, the composition of arias of any kind.

La Gazza Ladra - Overture
Many years before, in 1817, Rossini had released the opera in two acts La gazza ladra (The Thieving Magpie). The opera is rarely performed today, but its grand overture is a beloved concert favorite, taking part of films and advertising of any kind. By all means, it was a great success to join the soundtrack of A Clockwork Orange, by Kubrick, in 1971.

A resource with no precedents at that time, the famous Rossinian crescendo – the increasing intensity of the repetitions of a theme until it burst into an orchestral roar – is seen here in all its overwhelming magnitude. Unheard for that years, the work begins with a pair of side drum rolls at the very start. I warmly recommend listening to the overture at full volume.

A very young Claudio Abbado conducts the Berlin Philharmonic, on the occasion of the traditional New Year's concert.

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