L'Italiana in Algeri

What more do you want? The première of L'Italiana in Algeri in Venice in 1813 was such a triumphant success that it prompted the then 21-year-old Gioacchino Rossini to come up with one of his typical bon mots: "I thought the Venetians would think me mad after hearing my opera. Now it turns out they are crazier than I am." The work seems to have been cast from a single mold and according to writer Stendhal made the listener "forget all the misery of the world". With this work, Rossini finally conquered the world stage as the undisputed master of comic opera of his time. The style of this opera is an ingenious perfection of the traditions of the 18th century and an inspiration for later developments in this genre throughout the 19th century. Although Jakob Lehmann approaches the work from the perspective of historical performance practice, the Eroica Berlin Orchestra is not an ensemble that decidedly plays on historical instruments, but rather chooses a kind of middle way. Lehmann follows the critical edition and plays it uncut. According to the custom of the time, he has the recitatives accompanied not only by a keyboard instrument, but by a trio of cello, double bass and fortepiano. In his view, a truly historically "informed" interpretation of a musical work must follow the original text, but also read between the lines and occasionally go beyond it. The result is like a rejuvenation cure for this popular work: it smells of historical theater, but never sounds dusty; it follows historical traditions, but without becoming dogmatically rigid. But above all, it offers the best entertainment without slipping into superficiality. What more do you want?