Petite messe solennelle

On Wednesday 23rd August at 8.30 p.m. at the Vitrifrigo Arena the 44th edition of the Rossini Opera Festival will conclude with the Petite messe solennelle, Rossini’s last composition, which will be given in the version for soloists, chorus, organ and orchestra in the critical edition edited for the Fondazione Rossini by Davide Daolmi.

Michele Mariotti will conduct, with the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della Rai and the Chorus of the Teatro Ventidio Basso, with Nicola Lamon at the organ.  The four soloists are Rosa Feola (soprano), Vasilisa Berzhanskaya (mezzo-soprano), Dmitry Korchak (tenor) and Giorgi Manoshvili (bass).

Composed in 1863 for twelve singers (four soloists combined with a chorus of eight singers), two pianos and harmonium, the Petite Messe Solennelle was first performed on the 14th March 1864 in the Paris residence of the Countess Louise Pillet-Will, to whom it is dedicated.  In 1867 Rossini decided to score the Little Mass for full orchestra, but this version was only performed on the 28th February1869, after the composer’s death.

In the footnote to the autograph score Rossini wrote: “Good Lord, here it is at last, this poor little Mass.  Will what I have just created be holy or unholy music?  I was born for comic opera, you know that well!  A little bit of technique and a little bit of heart, that’s all there is.  Be kind to me then, and grant me Paradise.”

The Petite messe solennelle will be projected live in Piazza del Popolo, in collaboration with the Town Hall of Pesaro.

Information: 0721.3800294 – https://rossinioperafestival.vivaticket.it/