Gioachino Rossini is deservedly well-known for many an opera, however, he is also well-known for being one of those rare composers who actually retired from opera. His most ambitious opera “Guillaume Tell,” written in 1829, was also his last. Consequently, he had the luxury of spending over three decades in retirement in Paris at the prime of his life. Nonetheless, a few of his best compositions date from this period which include the Stabat Mater (1841) and the Petite messe solennelle (1863). These pieces show a deft understanding of composition and drama that goes beyond the florid vocal fireworks of his more popular Italian operas.

This summer Will Crutchfield included a performance of the Stabat Mater during the second season of his new company Teatro Nuovo. For years Crutchfield, a famed conductor and scholar of bel canto opera had performed as part of the Caramoor Music Festival in Katoonah, New York. During the Caramoor years, the bel canto festival would include two operas – typically one lesser-known work paired with a staple of the genre and featured exciting young performers in leading roles.