Episode 2

When Rossini moved to Naples, the then capital of the operatic world, he met the prima donna who was to become Mrs Rossini, Isabella Colbran. He also met Beethoven in Vienna, who advised him to stick to comedy. Happily for posterity, this was advice he ignored. The programme includes excerpts from his tragic masterpiece Ermione, which Rossini liked to call his 'little William Tell'.

Ermione Sinfonia
Prague Philharmonic Chorus
Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo
Claudio Scimone (conductor)

Ermione (Act 1, scene 6)
Ermione (Act 2, scenes 2-3 excerpts)
Ermione (Act 2, scenes 5-6)

Oreste ...... Chris Merritt (tenor)
Ermione ...... Cecilia Gasdia (soprano)
Pirro ...... Ernesto Palacio (tenor)
Cleone/Cefisa ...... Elisabetta Tandura (soprano)
Andromaca ...... Margarita Zimmermann (mezzo-soprano)
Pilade ...... William Matteuzzi (tenor)
Attalo ...... Mario Bolognesi (tenor)
Fenicio ...... Simone Alaimo (baritone)
Prague Philharmonic Chorus
Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo
Claudio Scimone (conductor).