"Il Viaggio a Reims, Ossia l'Albergo Del Giglio d'Oro": Dramma Giocoso in One Act by Luigi Balochi - The Critical Edition of the Works of Gioachino Rossini Section 1: oper (Hardback)

Rossini composed his last Italian opera to celebrate the coronation of the French king Charles X in 1825. A virtuoso "tour de force", it was conceived for the greatest voices of the time and calls for an exceptional cast of fourteen soloists: three prima donna sopranos, an alto, two tenors, four baritones and four basses. One of the score's glories is the audacious "Gran Pezzo Concertato" for the 14 soloists. In the Finale national toasts derived from patriotic songs set the driving music awhirl. Rossini permitted only four performances of "Viaggio", later reusing half the score for "Le Comte Ory". The manuscript sources were presumed lost until part of the autograph was recovered in the 1970s at the Rome Conservatory, while other sources were found in Paris (including original performing parts) and Vienna. The identification of a missing chorus completed the restoration of this magnificent work to the repertory. Along with the reconstructed score, the critical edition provides historical information about the libretto's relationship to French politics of the era and details on the first production.