La gazza ladra

Gioachino Rossini

Gioachino Rossini (1792–1868) was the most celebrated Italian composer of his age, a master of both opera buffa and opera seria. Born in Pesaro, he penned nearly forty operas before the age of thirty-seven, including immortal works such as “Il barbiere di Siviglia,” “La Cenerentola,” and “Guillaume Tell.” “Adina, ovvero Il Califfo di Bagdad” (1818), though lesser-known, showcases all the melodic wit, rhythmic verve, and vocal brilliance that made Rossini the darling of Europe.

Rossini’s distinctive style, characterized by elegant melodies, rapid vocal passages, lively rhythms, and inventive orchestration, had a profound influence on nineteenth-century opera. His music combines theatrical energy with remarkable technical precision, allowing singers to display both virtuosity and expressive range. Even today, his operas remain staples of the international repertoire, admired for their wit, brilliance, and enduring freshness.

After retiring from the operatic stage at the height of his fame, he spent his later years in Paris as a revered cultural figure and gourmet.

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La gazza ladra is a two-act melodrama by Gioachino Rossini, with a libretto by Giovanni Gherardini, which was first performed at La Scala in Milan in 1817. The story is set in a French village. Ninetta, a devoted and honest servant in the household of the tenant farmer Fabrizio Vingradito, is betrothed to Giannetto, her employers’ son. Ninetta’s father, Fernando, is a deserter on the run who is hiding in the village. A tame magpie steals silver cutlery from the house; when Ninetta sells a spoon bearing the initials ‘FV’ to help her father, she is accused of theft and sentenced to death. The podestà, Gottardo, who is infatuated with her, takes advantage of the situation to try to marry her, whilst Giannetto and his family are in despair.

In the second act, Ninetta, in prison, rejects the podestà’s advances and protects her father. Fernando turns himself in to save her, but the sentence seems irrevocable. The magpie, stealing another coin from Pippo, reveals its nest where the stolen cutlery is hidden. Ninetta’s innocence is proven at the very last moment, just before the execution. Everyone is reconciled: Ninetta marries Giannetto, Fernando is pardoned, and the podestà is humiliated. The opera concludes with a choral happy ending that celebrates justice and goodness triumphing over deceit and injustice.

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