Rossini Opera Festival
Encyclopedia
The Rossini Opera Festival (frequently referred to among musicians as the Pesaro Festival and usually nicknamed just ROF) is an opera festival held in August of each year in Pesaro
, Italy
, the birthplace of the opera
composer Gioachino Rossini.
Performances are given in the 850-seat theatre built in 1818, the Teatro Rossini
and, since 1988, the modified "Palasport" sports arena which holds 1,500. Since 2000 another venue, the Teatro Sperimentale (Experimental Theatre), has offered the opportunity to present smaller-scale or minor works by contemporaries of Rossini such as Mosca
, Generali, and Coccia.
was performed along with Semiramide
and Otello
. The first centennial of Rossini's birth in 1892 saw L'occasione fa il ladro
and the twentieth-century seasons saw many Rossini operas including many quite obscure ones.
On 13 August 1993, the Italian parliament unanimously approved the Special Law N. 319 "Regulations in support of the Rossini Opera Festival", which recognizes the Pesaro Festival's achievements in the reviving of Rossini's operas as entitled to be included among the state-supervised works of restoration of the national artistic heritage. The ensuing grant (of which parliament has recently approved the continuation) is financed from the funds of the Beni Culturali.
The Rossini Festival has seen many of Rossini's lesser-known works revived, some of which have since entered the standard operatic repertoire.
From the beginning, the Festival attracted some major singers including Marilyn Horne
, Montserrat Caballé
, Ruggero Raimondi
and Juan Diego Flórez
. Based on press reports, some productions have been extremely controversial.
Pesaro
Pesaro is a town and comune in the Italian region of the Marche, capital of the Pesaro e Urbino province, on the Adriatic. According to the 2007 census, its population was 92,206....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, the birthplace of the opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
composer Gioachino Rossini.
Performances are given in the 850-seat theatre built in 1818, the Teatro Rossini
Teatro Rossini
Teatro Rossini may refer to:*Teatro Rossini, a theatre in Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires, Argentina*Teatro Rossini , an 18th-century opera house in Lugo, Italy*Teatro Rossini , a 19th-century opera house in Pesaro, Italy...
and, since 1988, the modified "Palasport" sports arena which holds 1,500. Since 2000 another venue, the Teatro Sperimentale (Experimental Theatre), has offered the opportunity to present smaller-scale or minor works by contemporaries of Rossini such as Mosca
Mosca
Mosca is an Italian surname that means "fly" and may refer to:* Angelo Mosca , Canadian Football League player and professional wrestler* Frank Mosca, author* Gaetano Mosca , Italian political scientist, journalist and public servant...
, Generali, and Coccia.
Rossini's music in Pesaro
Prior to the establishment of the Festival, it was not uncommon to see productions of Rossini's music taking place to mark occasions in his life and death. Thus, in 1868 when the composer died in Paris, his Stabat Mater (Rossini)Stabat Mater (Rossini)
Rossini composed his Stabat Mater late in his career after retiring from the composition of opera. He began the work in 1831 but did not complete it until 1841.-Composition:...
was performed along with Semiramide
Semiramide
Semiramide is an opera in two acts by Gioachino Rossini.The libretto by Gaetano Rossi is based on Voltaire's tragedy Semiramis, which in turn was based on the legend of Semiramis of Babylon...
and Otello
Otello (Rossini)
Otello is an opera in three acts by Gioachino Rossini to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Berio di Salsi, based on Shakespeare's play Othello....
. The first centennial of Rossini's birth in 1892 saw L'occasione fa il ladro
L'occasione fa il ladro
L’occasione fa il ladro, ossia Il cambio della valigia is an opera in one act by Gioachino Rossini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Prividali, based on Le prétendu sans le savoir, ou L’occasion fait le larron, a play by Eugène Scribe.-Performance history:L’occasione fa il...
and the twentieth-century seasons saw many Rossini operas including many quite obscure ones.
The Festival established in 1980
The Festival was established in 1980 with the aim of making the world more aware of Rossini's neglected operas and presenting all of them in collaboration with the G. Ricordi & Co. music publishing house, which published their critical editions. Of the approximately three dozen operas written, only a handful are regularly presented.On 13 August 1993, the Italian parliament unanimously approved the Special Law N. 319 "Regulations in support of the Rossini Opera Festival", which recognizes the Pesaro Festival's achievements in the reviving of Rossini's operas as entitled to be included among the state-supervised works of restoration of the national artistic heritage. The ensuing grant (of which parliament has recently approved the continuation) is financed from the funds of the Beni Culturali.
The Rossini Festival has seen many of Rossini's lesser-known works revived, some of which have since entered the standard operatic repertoire.
From the beginning, the Festival attracted some major singers including Marilyn Horne
Marilyn Horne
Marilyn Horne is an American mezzo-soprano opera singer. She specialized in roles requiring a large sound, beauty of tone, excellent breath support, and the ability to execute difficult coloratura passages....
, Montserrat Caballé
Montserrat Caballé
Montserrat Caballé is a Spanish operatic soprano. Although she sang a wide variety of roles, she is best known as an exponent of the bel canto repertoire, notably the works of Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti and Verdi....
, Ruggero Raimondi
Ruggero Raimondi
Ruggero Raimondi is an Italian bass-baritone opera singer who has also appeared in motion pictures.-Early training and career:Ruggero Raimondi was born in Bologna, Italy, during World War II...
and Juan Diego Flórez
Juan Diego Flórez
Juan Diego Flórez is a Peruvian operatic tenor, particularly known for his roles in bel canto operas. On June 4, 2007, he received his country's highest decoration, the Gran Cruz de la Orden del Sol del Perú....
. Based on press reports, some productions have been extremely controversial.