Gioachino Rossini, Il turco in Italia (1814)

If you think I'm not freaking out about the election, you are extremely wrong. I'm just not freaking out all over my blogs, because really, what good does that do? Watching Rossini is definitely a better option. Is this title here the opposite of L'italiana in Algeri? Well, not technically, but come on, you know that Rossini's librettists were not overly concerned with the cultural distinctions between different kinds of Muslim places or people, so I think it's fair to see the two as companion pieces.

So there's this poet, Prosdocimo, who's looking for a plot for his new comedy (is this an opera or a non-musical play? Unclear; that seems to shift around a bit). He finds his inspiration in the action going on around him: there's a gypsy woman, Zaida, a former slave in a Turkish harem; she and her master were in love and going to marry, but her rivals spread rumors about her unfaithfulness so he got mad and she ran away. Presently, who should show up at the harbor but the selfsame Turkish prince, Selim, who wants to see Italy. Meanwhile there's Fiorilla, an Italian woman who does not subscribe to the idea that a woman should love just one man, much to the distress of her husband Genorio. She and Selim flirt, to the dismay of both him and Zaida. Zaida confronts him but he's conflicted about what he wants. There's a masked ball with confused identities Selim and Zaida get together, and when it becomes clear that he's going to leave her, Fiorilla decides that she loves Genorio after all. As ever, the psychology is somewhat questionable, but what the hey! We're all happy.

The character of Prosdocimo is interesting; he's totally unnecessary to the plot, but he adds a cool meta element to the proceedings. Aside from that, it's Rossini comedy as usual: maybe a little less goofy than L'italiana in Algeri or Le Comte Ory, but not really that different. Which is a good thing, just so we're clear. This colorful traditional production from the 2007 Rossini Festival definitely does the trick. Alessandra Marianelli stands out as Fiorilla; I just recently enjoyed her performance in that weird circus-themed La serva padrona, so it's nice to see her in a bigger role.