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Two full comic operas notwithstanding, the beginning of Rossini's career is best represented by a continuous succession of five one act operas or farsas, as Rossini himself described them: "La cambiale di matrimonio", "L'inganno felice", "La scala di seta", "L'occasione fa il ladro" (only this piece is designated by the composer as a "burletta" but the nature of the work gives us an opportunity to consider it an important part of this quintet of operas) and "Il signor Bruschino". All these works are also closely connected by the fact that they follow the same basic form with just a few variations. Structurally, all the first five operas share several obligatory elements: a lively overture; an introduction, usually limited to just three singers; arias for the main quartet of bass, baritone (or another bass), soprano and tenor (though one of these can be skipped); a central ensemble which feels almost as a first act finale, if the opera was just an hour longer (a terzet (in three operas), quartet or sextet); duets for two basses, tenor and soprano or soprano and bass; a long finale during which the plot reaches its' climax but all things invariably end happily. Usually the pieces are composed of just eight numbers, amounting to about an hour of music, only in "L'occasione" do we get eleven (mainly, because of two arias for the soprano). Moreover, all operas, in spite of being designated as "farsas" which, arguably, they are to a great extent, feature a very strong ... |
