La Scala di Seta (The Silken Ladder)

This is the earliest of Rossini's operas to pass into the repertory. It had its first performance in Venice in May 1812 when Rossini was 20 years of age La Scala di Seta displays many signs of the perfection that would lead to the overwhelming success of La pietra del paragone (The touchstone) later that year. The dramatic structure of the work is ingenious and allowed Rossini to employ some particularly clever turns, as, for example, in the quartet Dorvil/Giulia/Germano/Blansac in the seventh scene. The role of Giulia, clearly the best of all, is particularly lyric without ever retarding the dramatic progression. Rossini orchestrated this work according to the means at his disposition at the San Moisè Theatre: two flutes (and piccolos), two oboes and an English horn, a bassoon, two horns and the orchestral strings. The opera played for a full month at San Moisè, a sign of its great success with the Italian audiences.

Place: The countyside; outside Paris

Time: the present (1800's).

Giulia has secretly married Dorvil without permission from her tutor/guardian, Dormont, who has promised her to Dorvil's friend, Blansac. Husband and wife spend the nights together in Giulia's apartment.

Following the Sinfonia, a short introduction sets the stage in Giulia's chambers. She is impatiently waiting for Germano, her guardian Dormont's servant, to leave. She is expecting Dorvil to arrive at any moment via a silk ladder that she has let down from her window. Germano finally goes, but Lucilla, Giulia's cousin, promptly arrives, thus providing Germano the opportunity to return again. Giulia finally succeeds in getting rid of the two intruders and frees Dorvil, whom she had hidden in a closet. Dorvil confesses that he is unsettled by the arrival of his friend Blansac, a young man from a well-to-do family whom Dormont would like to marry Giulia. She reassures her husband and he leaves by way of the silk ladder. Dormont enters at this moment, announcing that Blansac has just arrived.

The action begins to accelerate at this point with one of Rossini's well-known dramatic crescendos. Giulia has come up with a plan: she is going to try to have Lucilla and Blansac fall in love. She rather ineptly asks Germano to spy on Blansac in order to see if he is perhaps already making advances at Lucilla, which would, of course, be advantageous to Giulia's plan. Germano immediately misinterprets her intentions; he thinks that she is making an advance at him. He finally grasps the situation and surprisingly consents to help.

Giulia leaves, and Blansac promptly appears with Dorvil, whom he has asked to be the best man at his wedding. Dorvil tries to dissuade Blansac from marrying Giulia. He lets him know that she doesn't feel anything for him. Blansac, young and a gamester, bets that he can seduce Giulia and invites Dorvil to be witness to the event. Dorvil, bitterly disappointed, agrees in order to test Giulia's fidelity. He hides just as Giulia arrives. Giulia, however, tries to seduce Blansac in order to see if he is enough of a gentleman for Lucilla.

Germano, who is also hidden in the room spying on Blansac, notices that he is not alone. The other person, of course, is Dorvil. Germano informs Giulia of the fact with a whisper. The famous quartet that forms the high point of the opera follows, brilliantly depicting their game of mutual spying. The truth finally comes out and the protagonists stand facing one another; general embarrassment rules, and it is evident that Germano is the centre of blame for all.

Everyone exits except for Blansac. Lucilla appears, and Blansac cannot resist his instincts and tries to seduce the young maiden. He succeeds; Lucilla trembles with pleasure on hearing his compliments and departs in a flurry. Germano enters and invites Blansac to join the others in the salon. Once alone, the servant hears Giulia lament the fact that Dorvil had spied on her. She is aware of the game that he was playing. Germano learns that Giulia is awaiting a lover at the break of dark with the help of a silk ladder. Germano is convinced that Giulia is hoping for Blansac to come. He tells Blansac that Giulia is waiting for him and shows him the silk ladder. Then he meets Lucilla and recounts the whole story to her. Lucilla is extremely jealous and decides to spy on Blansac in order to confirm if he is betraying her. Germano is overcome by curiosity and also decides to observe the whole from a hiding place. It is midnight, and Giulia, thinking that she is alone in her chambers, lets down the silk ladder. Dorvil appears, but Giulia doesn't have a second to say a word because Blansac is also climbing up the balcony. Dorvil quickly hides. The action accelerates once again: Blansac is also able to hide just in the nick of time as Dormont, the old guardian, arrives. Dormont discovers the silk ladder and has a fit of anger. He discovers each of the hidden protagonists one after the other, and now there can be no more secrets. Dorvil and Giulia confess that they are married. Blansac is delighted and proposes to Lucilla, who accepts. Dormont also consents to a wish that Giulia's aunt had expressed in a letter: since she knew off Dorvil's and Giulia's love for one another, she had blessed their marriage, and Dormont, for his part, also gives his blessing to this 'matrimonio segreto.'

> This Week

> Archive of operas

Gioacchino Rossini
1792 - 1868.