At the beginning of our century Italian music, having to be greatly renewed, immediately pronunced against the supremacy of serious opera (as opera of the nineteenth century is usually named) following the stylistic principles of the eighteenth century, when Italy still played an important role within the production of musical instrumental forms. In Italy, during the nineteenth century musical life was undoubtedly dominated by opera and in the few cases other kinds of music at least asserted their right to exist in, it was mostly a question of vocal music. Just in this context it is interesting to note as the composer, personating the archetype of opera, sometimes utilizes instrumental ensembles. Verdi himself, though very polemic about a promotion, in those days almost institutionalized, of the production of instrumental music, composed a string quartet in 1873. He wrote to a friend of his that he did not know whether it was fine or unpleasant, nevertheless what he knew was it was really a quartet!
Gioacchino Rossini, in his youth indeed, (1804) composed a series of quartets (Sonate a quattro for two violins, cello and doublebass) that, in their drawing inspiration from formal older patterns, are certainly to be considered good exercises of composition: instrumental music forming a model of study. Also the two Sinfonie composed some years later are compositions written with similar purposes. In the following years Rossini was only thought as an opera composer. His chamber music excerpt became rare and almost "hidden" behind his theatrical production; nevertheless -even if any scenic action is absent externally- these compositions let one get the general idea of the musical capacity and the personal style of the Maestro from Pesaro. Opera is omnipresent and so instrumental compositions are conceived -at least partially- as imaginary "chamber operas" or as autonomous Overtures, as it were "Chamber Concerts-Overtures", joined together like moments of an imaginary drama. For example, this is the case of Fantasia for clarinet and piano composed in 1829. The opera characteristic of this excerpt reveals itself not only by the recurring presence of elements typical of "Italian" cantabile, but also by a lot of expressive and formal aspects.
The pre-eminence of scene has also effect where instrumental forms and expressive characteristics had a historic evolution. In Tema con Variazioni for four wind instruments (1812), it is impossible for anyone not to notice some influences of Viennese classicism; "Serenity" by Mozart is the guide-star in the sky of Rossini. In the form of the variations also Serenata for flute, oboe, english horn, two violins, viola, cello, of 1823 is based on, it is possible for us to realize Rossini's melodic-creative capabilities. The dominant element of this music is Melos, so that we can recognize an opera stylistic feature again; in particular, that occurs in the virtuosic passages (see, in this connection, Variazioni su un Tema di Rossini by Giovacchino Giovacchini). In Rossini rather often such virtuosic passages assume the typical characteristic of "Stretto", not only letting a performer give proof of his own capabilities, but also imposing themselves as an element capable of representing a form of sonorous energy we could define "condensed" and "bridled" at the same time. Are these quick passages something like an idling engine? Or are they to be thought as expression of a concept of lire and art that, exploiting the paradox of a lightness full of energy, every now and then tries to avoid every gravity or to oppose something against the hardness of lire? Really these forms of expression are insignificant only for those who think of finding true art only into expressive "deep" forms.
The fact that all this develops into formal melodic or rhythmic-melodic contexts, shows a considerable difference compared to the formal structure of Viennese classicism and Central European tradition in general: harmonic modulations, at least for those who listen to -are secondary and are not put in the centre of attention. They are heard, but hardly perceived. We think, however, it is not true that, from this reflection, we must deduce the composer was not interested in harmonic structures and so he meant to neglect them. He who listens to this harmony attentively, finds out its qualities: for example, about the light passages having quite little purposes of harmonic solution, we could almost define them "wandering modulations" into which harmonies move by unexpected changes; such conducts reappear always new, with an apparent, thoughtless open-mindedness. And yet, such refined harmonic creations need a very attentive listening so that one does not succumb to the magnificence of the melody. This way of proceeding will change in the late works by Rossini.
After his retiring from the public musical life, at the height of his career (his last opera is dated 1829), the Maestro lived enough to see a new fruitful creative period in his old age. From 1857 on, he wrote pieces of chamber music far several instrumental formations and had them performed at Parisian musical soirées. He, however, thought their publication unadvisale as if they were sins of his old age, Péchés de vieillesse. Really they are a collection of "Salonmusik": a quite original one of sublime quality, written with humour and refiniment but full of genuine emotion and wanting in any trace of sentimentalism, too. However the light and ironic relation Rossini had with musical conventions did not preclude him tram facing new expressive forms. Several years later, some characteristics of this art are still present in the miniatures by Erik Satie. Un Mot à Paganini (Elégie), for violin and piano, and Une Larme, Thème et Variations for cello and piano (both compositions are still waiting far their publication) are certainly the gems of this recording. At the beginning of Un Mot à Paganini, a short motive is insistely propounded by piano, as a kind of sigh constantly repeated and developed contrapuntally by figurations of violin, having similar expressive purposes. During the melodic repetitive modulation of piano, there is a moment a harmonic metamorphosis is proposed in: the above mentioned characteristics of an unconventional way of preceeding reveal themselves just here. By an original way a chromatic process is included: tonality dims as harmony ventures to more and more remote ambits and, at the 16th beat, reaches its dissonant apex by an effect of violin seeming not to have any possible solution. On the other hand the figurations of violin change from figures like fanfares into very long sighs which, then, are immediately shortened: the initial motive is started again, then piano lets finally violin expound the main motive. So musical speech develops by tiny harmonic-melodic-rhytmical deviations and by few means indeed a great expressive effect is reached (Elégie, the term quoted in the title is here proposed -rather ironically- as an expressiv characteristic). To us, gone through the experiences of the Minimal music, forms of this kind show the characteristics of an experience of composition of a quite new quality. About its formal function, the part of the passage till now mentioned could be considered as a kind of introduction waiting far a theme. Really this is followed by a part in which there are a melody of traditional proportions and primary importance committed to violin, and a harmony of accompaniment played by piano. Also here this harmony starts in a quite particular way: with the tonality of B flat rather than with the main tonality of D major. At the end of the passage both formal elements, proposed before, appear again; this lime, however, without modulation towards the D flat tonality. The formal characteristics typical of "Movimento di Sonata" are unique (since the main theme is followed by a subsequent subordinate one, at first expounded in the tonality at third or at fifth, then re-produced at the end of the passage, as a real renewal in the basic tonality). From this point of view the presumed main theme really reveals itself to be the subordinate one and so the presumed introduction turns to the main theme, a main one, however, lacking in "Melody".
Une Larme, Thème et Variations is a passage written by a tear. It is a theme punctuated with sighs, derived from a pathetic motive, then developed into the form of "Theme with Variations": sadness permeated with joy, melancholy changing into serenity. The "Repeat" could present the initial theme again; on the contrary, the tear motive leads to a "Recitative" (Rossini notes this indication even in the score). Consequently, utilizing the same main theme, Rossini can produce an "Aria". The tear motive ends as an opera scene. However this operatic epilogue is not performed in the natural way of the past any longer. In the cases a stylistic element appears in, it comes to us with a characteristic seeming linguistically remote, as if it would intend to tell us something. Is it a question of crocodile tears or, really, could anything remaind about Une Larme, by lacrimation? The passage reveals itself always changing not only because of a continuous presence of emotional states, each time intimate or excited, but also because of a contemporaneousness of reality and invention, genuine expression and sentimental ostentation.
Joachim Noller