Globalization in Music
by Saverio Pacchioni (Music editor)
Globalization is not something completely new: in world history ‘global’ ages have already occurred at regular intervals. Besides for artists globalization has always existed, in spite of political and economic borders, and musicians are no exception.
For example, since the beginning of the XVIII century Italian composers went throughout Europe spreading all over their music; and later in the XIX century when their monopoly was over, that kind of colonization turned into sheer emigration and they had to compete with local musicians.
In any case, an obstacle brilliantly overcome by Rossini, who after having conquered Venice, Rome and Naples, moved to Vienna and London, more and more succesfully, to eventually get to Paris the undisputed caput mundi of that time.
In short Rossini enjoyed a real worship that could be compared for its effect only with that one for movie and rock stars. But for sure of more extent, as it ranged from middle-class to Kings.
In Paris Rossini’s first assignment was ‘Il viaggio a Reims’, an encomiastic work to celebrate the crowning of the new king Charles X.
In order to appreciate entirely this opera you should focus on the historical period. Napoleone having been defeated at Waterloo, the Restoration’s age began, that is the attempt by the winning Powers of restoring the previous political and social order. In France Louis XVIII wisely implemented a ‘soft’ Restoration but his successor Charles Borbone shifted to a ‘hard’ ultraconservative line.
‘Il viaggio a Reims’ is a quite odd. Indeed, almost nothing happens. A group of nobles coming from all of Europe stops in Plombières on the way to Reims, where they are supposed to be present at the crowning of Charles X Borbone. Learning that they won’t reach Reims in time as there are not horses available to go on, they decide to come back to Paris the next day to take part to the celebration for the new king and in the meanwhile they console themselves with a feast.
In addition to the usual great deal of comic situations set to music with the typical verve, ‘Il viaggio Reims’ stands out most of all for the abnormal number of singers, fourteen main voices out of eighteen in all, three times as many as the rule. So the climax is reached when the fourteen characters, disappointed at the snag, perform all together an impressive gran pezzo concertato.
If ‘Il viaggio a Reims’ lacks in action, on the other hand it is rich in allegories.
Each one of the aristocrats, sketched in accordance with national stereotypes of that time, symbolizes also his country, and all together Europe of the Restoration, coming out from the Congress of Vienna.
So Rossini, as a cosmopolitan musician, unintentionally deals with matters nowadays of pressing relevance. The portrait of an European order that was bound to fade away in a few years undoubtedly worry us; but there is also a subtle recipe for the future. In Plombières each character/country bears such features not only as not to compromise peaceful coexistence but rather to make it pleasant. Harmony in diversity: each one takes and gives up something. Voilà!
Il viaggio a Reims
Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino
Wednsday, January 18 2012, 8.30 pm
Friday, January 20 2012, 8.30 pm
Saturday, January 21 2012, 6.00 pm
Sunday, January 22 2012, 3.30 pm
Tuesday, January 24 2012, 8.30 pm
