Based on Tancrède by Voltaire the tenth opera in Rossini’s catalog takes its cue from the turbulent context of Sicily in the medieval era. A military war in the background, a battle for the beloved woman in the foreground—this is the essence of a melodrama of extraordinary melodic richness, composed by a Rossini barely in his twenties, marking his first major success in serious opera. This masterpiece returns to shine at Palazzo Ducale, 49 years after inaugurating the Festival della Valle d’Itria in 1976.
A Belcanto masterpiece, presented here with the consecutive performance of its two finales. The happy ending, written by Rossini for the premiere at La Fenice in Venice on February 6 1813, sees the hero triumph in both war and love. In contrast, the tragic ending, composed just over a month later for Teatro Comunale in Ferrara on March 21, has Tancredi defeating the Saracens, only to succumb to mortal wounds, fading away in the soft strains of a string ensemble. This final version, rediscovered
