''Il signor Bruschino, ossia Il figlio per azzardo'' ''(Signor Bruschino, or The Accidental Son)'' is a one act

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

tic farce ( farsa giocosa per musica) by

Gioachino Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. He gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote man ...

to a libretto by Giuseppe Maria Foppa, based upon the 1809 play ''Le fils par hasard, ou ruse et folie'' by René de Chazet and Maurice Ourry. The opera was first performed in

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

at the

Teatro San Moisè The Teatro San Moisè was a theatre and opera house in Venice, active from 1620 to 1818. It was in a prominent location near the Palazzo Giustinian and the church of San Moisè at the entrance to the Grand Canal. History Built by the San Bernaba ...

on 27 January 1813. Between 1810 and 1813, the young Rossini composed five pieces for the Teatro San Moisè, beginning with ''

La cambiale di matrimonio ''La cambiale di matrimonio'' (; English language, English: ''The Bill of Marriage'' or ''The Marriage Contract'') is a one-act operatic farsa, farsa comica by Gioachino Rossini to a libretto by Gaetano Rossi. The libretto was based on the play b ...

'' (''Bill of Exchange of Marriage''), his first

, and ending with ''Il signor Bruschino''. These farse were short pieces, popular in Venice at the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century. They were intimate, with a cast of five to eight singers, always including a pair of lovers, here Sofia and Florville, at least two comic parts, here Bruschino senior, Gaudenzio and Filiberto, and one or more minor roles, here Marianna, Bruschino junior and a policeman. The style called for much visual comedy improvised by the players, and often a compulsive linguistic ‘tic’. Here, Bruschino senior often repeats the phrase "Oh, it’s so hot!". As compared with many genres of opera, acting and comedic talent is more important relative to the required singing ability. Rossini's farces also have a significant sentimental element. Overall, it has been described as "a vivacious and fast-moving musical comedy, whose graceful score reveals traces still of Cimarosa and even

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...

." ''Il signor Bruschino'' is forward-looking in its use of new musical effects. For example, in the overture, the second violins are instructed to tap their bows on their music stands. This lighthearted, energetic

overture Overture (from French ''ouverture'', "opening") is a music instrumental introduction to a ballet, opera, or oratorio in the 17th century. During the early Romantic era, composers such as Beethoven and Mendelssohn composed overtures which ...

is one of several by Rossini to have gained considerable importance in the modern concert repertoire.

Performance history

The opera was not performed in North America or in Britain until the 20th century. Its New York premiere took place at the

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera is an American opera company based in New York City, currently resident at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center), Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Referred ...

on 9 December 1932, and it was first seen in England (in an amateur staging by the Kent Opera Group) on 14 July 1960.Osborne Charles 1994, p. 27 Other performances have taken place in Italy and elsewhere in Europe, in particular, stagings in Paris and

Macerata Macerata () is a city and ''comune'' in central Italy, the county seat of the province of Macerata in the Marche region. It has a population of about 41,564. History The historical city centre is on a hill between the Chienti and Potenza (ri ...

in 1992.

Roles

Synopsis

:Time: 18th Century :Place: Gaudenzio's castle in France.Osborne, Charles 1994, p. 26 Sofia and Florville are in love, but Sofia's guardian, Gaudenzio, opposes the match. Florville's father and Gaudenzio are old enemies. Florville's father dies, removing one barrier, but Gaudenzio has already agreed to wed Sofia to the son of his old friend, Signor Bruschino senior. Sofia has never met her fiancé, Bruschino junior, as they were betrothed by correspondence. On his way to meet Sofia, young Bruschino stops at a tavern, runs up an impressive bill and is detained when he is unable to pay. Seizing the opportunity, Florville pretends to be Bruschino junior so that he can marry Sofia. Complications arise when Bruschino senior arrives at Gaudenzio's house. Fortunately, however, he is eventually forced to accept Florville as his own son. In a playful trio, Florville (as Bruschino junior) begs his "father" for forgiveness, while Gaudenzio upbraids old Bruschino for his lack of fatherly sympathy.

Musical numbers

*Sinfonia *"Deh! tu m'assisti amore" *Duettino - "Marianna!... Voi signore?" *"Quanto e dolce a un'alma amnate" *"A voi lieto ritorno, cara Sofia" *"Ah se il colpo arrivo a fare" *"A noi su, trasformiamoci" *"Nel teatro del gran mondo" *"Lasciatemi... che violenza!..." *"Per un figlio gia pentito" *"Impaziente son io di Saper" *"Ah, voi condur volete... Ah, donate il caro sposo" *"Qui convien finirla" *"Ho la testa, o e andata via?" *"Va tutto ben" *"E bel nodo, che due cori" *"Ebben, ragion, dovere" *"E tornato Filiberto"

Recordings

References

Notes Sources * Gossett, Philip; Brauner, Patricia (2001), "''Il signor Bruschino''" in Holden, Amanda (ed.), ''The New Penguin Opera Guide'', New York: Penguin Putnam. * Osborne, Charles (1994), ''The Bel Canto Operas of Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini'', London: Methuen; Portland, Oregon: Amadeus Press. *Osborne, Richard (1998), "''Il signor Bruschino''", in

Stanley Sadie Stanley John Sadie (; 30 October 1930 – 21 March 2005) was a British musicologist, music critic, and editor. He was editor of the sixth edition of the '' Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' (1980), which was published as the first edition ...

(Ed.), ''

The New Grove Dictionary of Opera ''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera'' is an encyclopedia of opera. It is the largest work on opera in English, and in its printed form, amounts to 5,448 pages in four volumes. The dictionary was first published in 1992 by Macmillan Reference, L ...

'', Vol. xxxx. London: Macmillan Publishers, Inc.

External links

Carlo Piazza, '' Il signor Bruschino''
from the Festival di Torrechiara, 2001, commentary, retrieved 26 February 2010

critical edition outline, retrieved 26 February 2010

{{DEFAULTSORT:Signor Bruschino, Il Operas by Gioachino Rossini Italian-language operas One-act operas Farse 1813 operas Operas Operas set in France Operas based on plays