Rossini - Il Viaggio a Reims / Bayo, Bros, Merced, Rasmussen, Tarver, Cantarero, Dara, Cobos, Barcelona Opera
Composed for the coronation of Charles X in Rheims Cathedral, this pièce de circonstance was to remain Rossini’s last Italian opera. It contains some of the most inspired and brilliant vocal writing the composer ever produced. Most experts and analysts agree that this is an unconventinal opera, light and ironic, festive and exuberant, with a plot as simple as it is extrvagant, a work full of musical references which almost turn it, very subtly, into a "metaopera," or an "opera about opera." The work features no true dramatic action, only a series of incidents, conversations and discussions involving a group of aristocrats from all over Europe who represent the nations ruled by the monarchies of the Holy Alliance. This opera also features a cast more than three times that of a normal opera buffa and composed exclusively of outstanding virtuosi. Picture Format: 16:9 • Subtitles: GB, D, F, I, ES • Sound Format: LPCM Stere, Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1