At the age of only 21, Gioacchino Rossini composed "L''Italiana in Algeri" or "The Italian Girl in Algiers." According to various sources, he wrote it in only 18 to 27 days. It was first performed on May 22, 1813, at the Teatro San Benedetto in Venice.
While this opera gets classified as a "dramma giocoso," Rossini does mix two musical styles in his composition:
"Opera buffa" and "dramma giocoso" are two titles for the same thing, and they essentially refer to Italian comic operas and a style of opera libretto very popular in the mid-18th century.
The term "dramma giocoso" refers to the text more than the opera itself and was developed through the work of the Venetian playwright Carlo Goldoni. Characteristics of this style include two long acts with a grand buffo scene serving as the climax at the end of each one.
Opera seria, by contrast, often dealt with mythical subjects and ancient heroes and tended to be tragic rather than comic. Also, opera seria generally fell into three acts. It dominated in Europe from approximately 1710 to around 1770.
Rossini''s opera here does fall into the opera buffa category, as the extremely complicated synopsis below reveals.
The synopsis of this comic opera begins in the palace of Mustaf in Algiers, with his wife Elvira (the soprano) complaining her husband no longer loves her. This is, in fact, true. Mustaf (the bass) has decided he is sick of his wife and will marry her off to Lindoro (the tenor), a young Italian slave in his court.
Mustaf has actually grown bored of all the women in his harem, so he instructs his captain, Haly, to find him an interesting Italian woman who, he hopes, won''t be so submissive.
Meanwhile, Lindoro pines for his lost love, Isabella, whom he hasn''t seen since he was captured by pirates. Mustaf sings Elvira''s praises to Lindoro and insists she possesses every virtue Lindoro misses in Isabella.
Elsewhere, a shipwreck has occurred. Isabella (the contralto) arrives on shore. She has been searching for her lost fianc. Haly''s pirates happily take her prisoner upon learning she''s Italian. They try to sell her travel companion Taddeo into slavery, but Isabella lies and says he is her uncle in order to save him. Taddeo loves Isabella, however, and his jealousy of Lindoro irritates her.
Back at the palace, Mustaf brings Lindoro and Elvira together. Lindoro reluctantly agrees to the marriage only when Mustaf tells him that he may return to Italy, but Elvira still loves her husband and adamantly refuses. Haly interrupts to tell Mustaf he has captured an Italian woman, so Mustaf goes off to claim his prize.
When Isabella sees Mustaf, she thinks he looks ridiculous and feels more than able to handle him. She has complete confidence in her ability to tame men. Mustaf, on the other hand, finds Isabella charming.
Lindoro and Elvira come to say goodbye in preparation to leave for Italy, and naturally Lindoro and Isabella recognize each other at once. Isabella stalls their departure by ordering Mustaf not to banish his wife and to allow her to keep Lindoro as her personal servant. Utterly confused, he agrees.
In act two, the synopsis only grows more complicated. Elvira finds the fact that Isabella cowed Mustaf so easily a sign of hope that she may regain his love. Meanwhile, Isabella laments that Lindoro has apparently broken faith with her since he was about to marry another. But Lindoro reassures her that she is his only love, and they agree to try and escape.
Mustaf has decided to make Taddeo his personal body guard and orders Taddeo to help him win Isabella''s love. Taddeo has no choice but to agree.
Isabella tells Elvira she should be more assertive if she wants to keep her husband. Isabella then makes Mustaf wait while she gets ready. When Mustaf is finally allowed to enter, Isabella invites Elvira to stay and have coffee with them, and Taddeo, dressed as his body guard, also refuses to leave. Mustaf grows furious.
Later, Lindoro figures out how they can escape. He goes to Mustaf and tells him that Isabella cares for him, but she insists that Mustaf must prove his worthiness by entering the Italian order of Pappataci. Mustaf believes this must be a great honor if it will prove his worth to Isabella, so he asks Lindoro what he must do. Lindoro tells him to just eat, drink and sleep as much as he wants and stay oblivious to everything else going on.
Isabella prepares a grand initiation feast for Mustaf. She and Lindoro say that they must test him, so they pretend to make love while Mustaf must honor his vow of remaining silent and unconcerned about anything around him. Taddeo helps by reminding Mustaf to ignore them. Just then, a ship arrives at the coast, and under the "oblivious" Mustaf''s nose the two lovers depart.
Taddeo realizes he has been tricked as well and that Isabella does love Lindoro and plans to leave with him, so he tries to get Mustaf to understand what''s going on. But Mustaf believes this is another test and pays no attention. At last, once he does realize, it''s too late. Mustaf has learned his lesson, he takes Elvira back, and everyone praises this wonderful Italian woman.
The Metropolitan Opera (n.d.) Stories of the Operas, L''Italiana in Algeri. Retrieved January 17, 2008, from the Metropolitan Opera Web site: http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/
history/stories/synopsis.aspx?id=50.