Rossini: Complete Overtures

Gioachino Rossini was one of the most prolific opera composers of the 19th century. He worked at a time when the opera overture had long since outgrown its former status as a mere introduction or “Sinfonia.” Rossini’s overtures are masterpieces in their own right, each opening a musical window onto the plot of the opera in question, which is what makes them so captivating. Christian Benda recorded all of Rossini’s sinfonias over the course of many years, earning acclaim from both the press and the public.