Thanks to the overwhelming success of his tenth opera L’italiana in Algeri (1813), the 21-year-old Gioachino Rossini definitively conquered the world stage as the greatest...

Thanks to the overwhelming success of his tenth opera L’italiana in Algeri (1813), the 21-year-old Gioachino Rossini definitively conquered the world stage as the greatest comic opera composer of his time. With this opera, which – in the eyes of Stendhal – “makes you forget all the miseries of the world”, Rossini created a blueprint for his greatest successes. The style showcased in L’italiana is a consummation of eighteenth-century traditions as well as an inspiration for later, Romantic developments, and the humorous events in the story entertain us until this very day. With this live recording made at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam in February 2022, the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century once again shows its capacity for renewal while respecting its venerable past, which will always be linked to the late Frans Brüggen. With a splendid cast of soloists including Vasilisa Berzhanskaya, Ricardo Seguel, Alasdair Kent and Pablo Ruiz, the fine collaboration with La Cetra Vokalensemble Basel and the exquisite conducting of maestro Giancarlo Andretta, this sparkling project will for sure make it into the shelves (and hearts) of many music lovers.