Messa di Rimini

Gioachino Rossini’s operatic works are framed by the composition of church music. In his youth he grew up surrounded by sacred music and through this music gained his first experience as a composer, which included learning how to write for the voice. Musically, he took stock of the wisdom he gained in his later years by composing key works such as Stabat Mater and Petite Messe solennelle. The Missa di Rimini belongs to Rossini’s first creative period and was composed in 1809 for the local cathedral. It is a Kyrie – Gloria Mass in which the Gloria, in accordance with the Italian tradition is extended and divided in ten numbers. The Mass is characterized by the joy of making music and offers both soloists and choir rewarding, if not difficult musical tasks. The compositional demands of the Mass are demonstrated also by the presence of extended instrumental passages in the work.