Gioachino Rossini
Opera
Libretto by Giuseppe Maria Foppa based on the libretto by François Planard, written for the eponymous opera by Pierre Gaveaux (1808). The first performance took place at the Teatro San Moisè, Venice, on 9 May 1812.
THE PICCOLO CHAMBER THEATRE
Operatic farsa in one act
Performed in Italian
(accompanied by synchronized captions in Kazakh and Russian)
Having met Rossini in 1822, at the zenith of his fame, Beethoven said: “Never try to write anything else but opera buffa; any other style would do violence to your nature.”
Long before this, the twenty-year-old composer, the future author of Il barbiere di Siviglia, created La scala di seta, a small operatic farsa comica in one act, to a libretto by Giuseppe Maria Foppa, for the Venetian Teatro San Moisè. La scala di seta combines the sparkling sense of humour and lively improvisational style of actors with the virtuosity of vocal and instrumental parts typical for Rossini. The composer praises the sensuality, zeal and ingenuity of young lovers, whose relationship up to a certain time must remain secret.
The action takes place in the 18th century and unfolds around Giulia, who has secretly married her beloved Dorvil. The lawful husband gets to his wife’s bedroom using the silken ladder, which she lowers down to him from the window. Giulia’s guardian, the old Dormont, is unaware of the marriage and tries to marry her off to Blansac. Misunderstandings and confusions constantly multiply to be happily resolved in the end.
SYNOPSIS
Dormont, the guardian of Giulia, is determined that she will marry Blansac, not knowing that she has secretly married Dorvil, who every night climbs up a silken ladder into his wife’s bedroom.
Giulia’s cousin Lucilla is in love with Blansac. Having heard that Giulia is expecting her husband to arrive at night and believing that it is Blansac, the guileless servant Germano, hurries to inform him that the silken ladder will be lowered for him. Lucilla finds this out and decides to steal the fiancé from her cousin at any cost. She and the curious Germano hide to see what happens.
Scarcely has Dorvil arrived at the appointed time, Blansac appears in the room. Dorvil hides. When the guardian sees the ladder hanging from the window, he hurries to his ward’s room and finds Blansac, Lucilla and Germano there. He decides that the only way to cover the sin is to marry Giulia to Blansac without further ado, but Dorvil, who has left his shelter, explains the real state of things. Dormont has to bless the union of Blansac and Lucilla.