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L'occasione fa il ladro

[Opportunity Makes the Thief]

Burletta per musica in one act by
LUIGI PRIVIDALI

First performance:
Venice – Teatro San Moisè
24 November 1812

Critical Edition by 
GIOVANNI CARLI BALLOLA
PATRICIA BRAUNER
PHILIP GOSSETT

FONDAZIONE ROSSINI PESARO 1994

CHARACTERS:
DON EUSEBIO, uncle of Berenice, tenor
BERENICE, fiancée of Count Alberto, soprano
COUNT ALBERTO, tenor
DON PARMENIONE, baritone
ERNESTINA, mezzo-soprano
MARTINO, Don Parmenione's servant, bass
Servants, silent

The action takes place in and around Naples

Instrumentation: 2 Flutes/Piccolo, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets, 1 Bassoon, 2 Horns, Strings, Continuo
Performance time: 1h 15m

The plot of this opera revolves around two pairs of lovers and mistaken identities. Superbly compact in construction, it has expansive, often complex numbers with lyrical melodic language. Rossini carefully differentiates the music for two pairs of lovers: a simple and sentimental style for Berenice and Alberto, vivacious and energetic for Ernestina and Parmenione. The opening prelude is followed by a storm that is taken from La pietra del paragone and appears later in Il barbiere di Siviglia.

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