Gioachino Rossini wrote his Péchés de vieillesse between 1857 and 1858, which was the year of his death. The collection is divided into fourteen albums, four of which contain works for voice and piano and seven, for solo piano. One album is dedicated to chamber music and solo piano and two others to vocal music and solo piano. Together with the Stabat Mater and the Petite messe solennelle, it is the only music Rossini composed after his retirement in 1829. The Péchés de vieillesse were pieces to be performed during the musical salons he offered every Saturday at his home in Paris; they were divertimenti, and the composer never contemplated publishing them. It was their widow who offered them to the publishers.
The first notebook contains a small cycle of three songs that is almost irresistible to mezzos: La regata veneziana. As the name suggests, it's about the great regatta that has been held annually in the Laguna since the 13th century, almost without interruptions. We hear the voice of a young woman, Anzoletta, who gives all kinds of advice, encourages and celebrates her love, Momolo, who participates in the regatta, and who wins. The titles of the three songs are sufficiently descriptive: Anzoleta avanti la regata, Anzoleta co passa la regata and Anzoleta dopo la regata. That is, Anzoleta before, during and after the race. The texts are written in Venetian dialect by Francesco Maria Piave, a name that may be familiar to you as he was the librettist for eleven operas by Verdi, including La Traviata or Rigoletto.
La regata veneziana is delightful, light, funny, and with a dose of virtuosity, as we would expect from Rossini. We will listen to the second song, Anzoleta co passa la regata, performed by Cecilia Bartoli and Charles Spencer; it is easy to imagine the girl expecting on the finish line.
This song and the rest of the cycle will be heard in Vilabertran, performed by Beth Taylor and Hamish Brown, at the recital on Monday 26. As always, after the song you will find the review of this concert and the previous two: Andrè Schuen and Daniel Heide on Friday 23, and Johannes Martin Kränzle and Hilko Dumno, on Saturday 24.
I xe qua, vardeli,
povereti i ghe da drento,
ah contrario tira el vento,
i gha l’acqua in so favor.
El mio Momolo dov’elo?
Ah lo vedo, el xe secondo.
Ah! che smania! mi confondo,
a tremar me sento el cuor.
Su coragio, voga,
prima d’esser al paleto se ti voghi,
ghe scometo,
tutti indrio ti lassarà.
Caro, par che ei svola,
el li magna tutti quanti,
meza barca l’è andà avanti,
ah capisso, el m’a vardà.
Divendres 23 d'agost: Andrè Schuen & Daniel Heide
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