Soli, SATB, 2 Pianos and Harmonium

The Petite messe solennelle, Gioachino Rossini’s last composition, which has been elevated to the rank of a kind of Last Work and Testament, is presented here in its original version, which calls for a chamber ensemble consisting of four solo voices, choir, two pianos and harmonium, in a critical edition curated by Davide Daolmi for the Rossini Foundation of Pesaro. Performed for the first time on March 14, 1864 in the Salon of Countess Louise Pillet-Will, the dedicatee of the work, it was orchestrated by Rossini between 1866 and 1868 (the year of his death), and has since become part of the standard repertoire. Introduction in Italian, English and German.