Il viaggio a Reims

Several prestigious guests have been staying at The Golden Lily Hotel and Spa on their way to the coronation of Charles X, in Reims. The day of the coronation has finally arrived, and the hotel is alive with the preparations for this grand journey. During their stay, the travellers have got to know each other’s particular quirks, and have formed new friendships and relationships. But all of this drama could not prepare them for some tragic news: there are no horses available to pull their coach to Reims. Their plans will have to be abandoned.

The company are quickly saved from despair by a letter from Paris, which informs them that the new King will be heading to Paris shortly after the coronation, so anyone who missed the great event can join in the festivities there. Overjoyed at this news, and with money to spare, the travellers decide to hold a grand banquet at the hotel instead. A travelling troupe of dancers are brought in to perform during the celebrations, and each traveller performs a toast from their homeland, in a celebration of grandeur, splendor, culture, and, of course, France.

Rossini’s rather underappreciated opera Il viaggio a Reims has some of the most challenging vocal writing of any of his operas which, combined with this sitcom-like farce offers a really entertaining show, on a par with many of his other more well-known operas, such as The Barber of Seville.

Scene One

No. 1 Introduction ‘Presto, presto...su, coraggio!’ - Maddalena, Chorus

Scene Two

[No. 1 cont.] ‘Benche, grazie al mio talento’ - Prudenzio, Antonio, Chorus

Scene Three

[No. 1 cont.] Aria ‘Di vaghi raggi adorno’ - Cortese, Maddalena, Prudenzio, Antonio, Chorus

Scene Four

Recitative ‘Partire io pur vorrei’ - Cortese, Folleville, Maddalena, Modestina

Scene Five

Recitative ‘Amabil Contessina’ - Luigino, Folleville

Scene Six

Recitative ‘Che accade?’ - Maddalena, Trombonok, Luigino, Folleville, Prudenzio

No. 2 Recitative ‘Ahime! Sta in gran pericolo’ - Folleville, Luigino, Trombonok, Prudenzio

Aria ‘Partir, oh ciel! Desio’ - Folleville, Maddalena, Luigino, Trombonok, Antonio, Prudenzio

Scene Seven

[No. 2 cont.] ‘Che miro! Ah! Qual sorpresa!’ - Folleville, Maddalena, Modestina, Luigino, Trombonok, Antonio, Prudenzio

Scene Eight

Recitative ‘Eh! Senti, mastro Antonio’ - Antonio, Trombonok

No. 3 Sextet ‘Si, di matti una gran gabbia’ - Trombonok

Scene Nine

[No. 3 cont.] ‘La mia quota a voi consegno’ - Profondo, Alvaro, Melibea

Scene Ten

[No. 3 cont.] ‘Donna ingrata, a stento in petto’ - Libenskof, Alvaro, Melibea, Trombonok

Scene Eleven

[No. 3 cont.] ‘Naturale è l’impazienza’ - Cortese, Libenskof, Melibea, Alvaro, Profondo, Trombonok

Aria ‘Arpa gentil che fida compagna ognor mi sei’ - Corinna, Cortese, Libenskof, Melibea, Alvaro, Profondo, Trombonok

Scene Twelve

Recitative ‘Zefirin non ritornia’ - Cortese

No. 4 Scene - ‘Ah! Perche la conobbi?’ - Sidney

Aria ‘Invan strappar dal core’ - Sidney, Chorus

Scene Thirteen

Recitative ‘Milord, una parola’ - Sidney, Profondo

Scene Fourteen

Recitative ‘Buon giorno, illustre amica!’ - Profondo, Corinna, Delia

Scene Fifteen

No. 5 Recitative ‘Sola ritrovo alfina la balla Dea’ - Corinna, Belfiore

Duet ‘Nel suo divin sembiante’ - Corinna, Belfiore, Profondo

Scene Sixteen

Recitative ‘Bravo il signor Ganimede!’ - Profondo

No. 6 Aria ‘Io! Medaglie incomparabili’ - Profondo

Scene Seventeen

Recitative ‘Vedeste il Cavaliere?’ - Folleville, Profondo

Scene Eighteen

Recitative ‘Amici, che si fa?’ - Alvaro, Libenskof, Profondo, Trombonok, Folleville

Scene Nineteen

Recitative ‘Ah! Melibea! Milord! Corinna! Oh ciel!’ - Trombonok, Zefirino

No. 7 Great Concert Piece of 14 voices ‘Ah! A tal colpo in aspettato’ - Folleville, Corinna, Melibea, Delia, Modestina, Libenskof, Belfiero, Zefirino, Trombonok, Alvaro, Sidney, Profondo, Prudenzio

Scene Twenty

[No. 7 cont.] ‘Signore, ecco una lettera’ - Cortese, Folleville, Corinna, Melibea, Delia, Modestina, Libenskof, Belfiero, Zefirino, Trombonok, Alvaro, Sidney, Profondo, Prudenzio

Scene Twenty-One

[No. 7 cont.] ‘Son qua, cosa comanda?’ - Antonio, Cortese, Gelsomino, Folleville, Corinna, Melibea, Delia, Modestina, Libenskof, Belfiero, Zefirino, Trombonok, Alvaro, Sidney, Profondo, Prudenzio

Scene Twenty-Two

[No. 7 cont.] ‘Tutto va ben, ma come voi sapete’ - Trombonok, Libenskof, Melibea

Scene Twenty-Three

No. 8 Scene ‘Di che son reo’ - Melibea, Libenskof

Duet ‘D’alma celeste, oh Dio!’ - Melibea Libenskof

Scene Twenty-Four

Recitative ‘Tutto e all’ordin’ - Maddalena, Gelsomino, Antonio

Scene Twenty-Five

No. 9 Finale

Ballet

Chorus ‘L’allegria e un sommo bene’ - Chorus

‘Ora secondo l’uso, i brindisi facciamo’ - Trombonok

German Anthem ‘Or che regna fra le genti’ - Trombonok, Chorus

Polish Anthem ‘Ai prodi guerrieri, seguaci di gloria’ - Meliba, Chorus

Russian Anthem ‘Onore, gloria ed alto omaggio’ - Libenskof, Chorus

Spanish song ‘Omaggio all’augusto duce’ - Alvaro, Chorus

English song ‘Dell’aurea pianta il germe amato’ - Sidney, Chorus

French song ‘Madre del nuovo Enrico’ - Folleville, Belfiore, Chorus

Tyrolean song ‘Piu vivace e piu fecondo’ - Cortese, Profondo, Chorus

Improvised verses ‘All’ombra amena del Giglio d’or’ - Corinna

Stretta ‘Viva il diletto augusto regnator’ - Cortese, Folleville, Corinna, Melibea, Delia, Modestina, Libenskof, Belfiore, Gelsomino, Trombonok, Sidney, Alvaro, Profondo, Chorus