THREE UNFAMILIAR WORKS.
When Rossini was thirty-seven years of age he had written thirty-seven
operas, without counting those enlarged editions of former works,
"Moïse" and "Le Siège de Corinthe." Of this number a good many are
forgotten, many too were never known out of Italy at all. The best, and
not merely the best, but the most typical, have remained. Admirable
works, which might have made the reputation of another composer, have
been overshadowed by masterpieces from the same hand. Repetitions too
have perished by the side of originals, and the time will no doubt come
when people will judge of Rossini almost entirely by the "Barber of
Seville"--the best proportioned, the most characteristic, and certainly
the most fortunate in regard to a libretto, of all his works.
Everything that relates to Rossini's earliest works is interesting;
indeed at one time "L'Inganno Felice" was his very best opera--which it
is evident that "Ricciardo e Zoraide," the thirtieth on the list, never
could have been. This last production, written in the year 1818 for the
San Carlo, must have been admirably executed, the chief parts being
entrusted to Mademoiselle Colbran, Benedetti the basso, and the two
tenors, Nozzare and Davide; but it had the misfortune to be produced
immediately after "Mosè," and was crushed by the greater work.
Of "Ermione" little seems now to be known, except that the libretto was
based on Racine's "Andromaque," that in addition to Mademoiselle Colbran
and the two tenors, Davide and Nozzare, the celebrated contralto
Pisarone (for whom Rossini, a few months afterwards, wrote the part of
_Malcolm Graeme_) was included in the cast, and that the work, though
presented on the stage with all possible advantages, made no lasting
impression. It is not even certain that it made a very favourable
impression in the first instance; and if "Ricciardo e Zoraide" lost by
coming just after "Mosè," "Ermione" can scarcely have gained by coming
just before "La Donna del Lago."
Stendhal--an untrustworthy guide, the more so as he makes no distinction
between his own personal opinions and those of Carpani, from whom he so
constantly borrows--informs us that the music of "Ermione" is composed
in the declamatory style of Gluck. M. Azevedo says that it is written in
the simple, vigorous style adopted by Rossini for treating the subject
of "Guillaume Tell." The two statements may be reconciled, if indeed
(which is quite probable) one has not been suggested by the other. It
may be said generally, that in "Ermione" the composer studied the
dramatic requirements of his subject more than the vocal capabilities of
his singers. The experiment does not seem to have been successful as far
as the public taste was concerned.
But between "Ermione" and "La Donna del Lago," both produced at the San
Carlo at Naples, Rossini brought out "Eduardo e Cristina" at Venice.
According to the author of Le Rossiniane, "Eduardo e Cristina" was
little more than Rossini's two previous operas, "Ricciardo e Zoraide"
and "Ermione," in another shape. The manager of the San Benedetto
Theatre at Venice had engaged Rossini to furnish him with a work for the
Spring season. But urgent private affairs detained the composer at
Naples, which he could not prevail upon himself to quit until about ten
days before the day fixed for the production of his new and original
work.
It is true that Rossini had in the meanwhile forwarded a good many
pieces of music to the expectant manager. The words were not always the
same as those which the manager had forwarded to him, but no one, not
even the manager, pays much attention to the words of an opera, and the
Venetian impresario was only too glad to get the music.
Nine days before the day of performance Rossini arrived in Venice to
give the finishing touches to his work, see it through the rehearsals,
and direct the first representation.
The opera was immensely applauded; but after the first two or three
pieces the audience all remarked a Neapolitan merchant in the pit who
seemed to know the work by heart, and anticipated the vocalists in
singing the principal melodies.
His neighbours asked him how he came to have heard the new music.
"New music?" replied the merchant; "it is a mixture of 'Ricciardo e
Zoraide' and 'Ermione,' produced at Naples six months ago. The only
thing new is the title. Rossini has taken the most beautiful phrase from
the duet in 'Ricciardo,' and turned it into a cavatina for your new
opera. Even the words are the same. 'Ah nati in ver noi siamo.'"
* * * * *
During the entre-acte, and while the ballet was going on, the story of
the Neapolitan merchant, after being told in the theatrical café, soon
spread in the theatre itself. The local _dilettanti_, who had been vying
with one another in sounding the praises of the work, were disgusted to
find that it had not been written for them at all, but had been composed
for Naples.
However, the public liked the music, and yielding only to their own
impressions, applauded it. The impresario on the other hand was bound to
be seriously annoyed, and said that Rossini had shamefully deceived him,
had ruined him, and so on. Rossini answered that he had promised the
manager music which would be applauded; that his music had been and
would continue to be applauded, and that applause, above all from the
managerial point of view, was the one thing to be considered.
The manager's reply to this sophism has not been preserved.