Il Turco in Italia, Opera by G. Rossini
When Gioachino Rossini wrote the music for Il Turco in Italia, Mozart's Così fan tutte was in his mind and some of its influence can be detected throughout the work. An opera buffa in two acts, Il Turco in Italia is a reworking of another opera by the same name which had been written by Franz Seydelmann to a libretto by Caterino Mazzolà. It was Felice Romani, the poet and scholar who also worked with the likes of Gaetano Donizetti and Vincenzo Bellini during his illustrious career, who provided Rossini's libretto. Rossini's version of Il Turco in Italia premiered at La Scala in Milan on 14 August 1814. It is staged at Verona's Teatro Filarmonico in a production featuring the orchestra of the Fondazione Arena di Verona.
Il Turco in Italia - or The Turk in Italy, to give it its English title – is musically distinct from many operas of the time including other Rossini works. It is less focused on aria compositions than audiences might expect. Instead, it relies on complex ensemble vocal works to express emotion, character and plot. There are several duets and trios and, at one point, even a quintet features. A great deal of the score brings out the comedy in the opera but it is often underpinned by an emotional complexity and sadness that adds depth to proceedings.
The story of Il Turco in Italia is set in Naples where a young writer is trying to find material suited to a comedy. He discovers a young gypsy girl named Zaida who, it transpires, has fled the harem of a certain Prince Selim, after an accusation for infidelity. She wants to be reunited with Selim and the writer agrees to help. Later, a wealthy Turkish man arrives in Naples harbour. The writer, Prosdocimo, discovers this man is, in fact, Prince Selim. Soon, Selim and Zaida come across one another but not before the prince has arranged to elope with the young wife of one of Prosdocimo's friends.
Delighted by the comic potential of this situation, Prosdocimo warns his friend of the scheme his wife and Selim have come up with. At a masked ball, further confusion is created by more than one character wearing the same clothes. Will Prosdocimo get the happy ending he wants for his comedic inspiration? In the final beach scene, the story is resolved as the characters make their decisions. Theatre-goers can make their own minds up as to whether the ending is a happy one or not at this production of Il Turco in Italia at Teatro Filarmonico di Verona.