Composed 1823; Duration: 11 minutes

First BPO Performance: February 14 & 16, 1954 (Milton Katims, conductor)

Last BPO Performance: September 23-24, 2000 (JoAnn Falletta, conductor)

From 1810 to 1823, Rossini became the de facto operatic composer in Italy, bridging the gap between the Classical and Romantic eras with some 34 works. He continued working for a few years in London and Paris before ultimately withdrawing from the opera world at the height of his success for a 40-year retirement.

His farewell to the Italian stage was his grim 1823 Semiramide, an adaptation of Voltaire’s 1746 tragedy, Sémiramis. The Queen of Assyria murders her husband, but loses her son in the process. Years later, she falls in love with General Arsace, who turns out to be her son. Semiramide’s late husband appears as a specter demanding vengeance. In protecting Arsace, Semiramide accidentally kills herself. Despite the grisly plot, Rossini formulated a delightful overture to lure the listener using material from throughout the opera. Horns and bassoons present a mood-setting chorale, while a flittering second theme adds energy to the intrigue. The orchestra swells into a histrionic climax just before the curtain rises.