Last night the Metropolitan Opera gave its first ever performance of Rossini’s penultimate opera Le Comte Ory. It was broadcast on the Sirius network and streamed live by the Met. It will be telecast in HD on April 9th. I’ll comment on it then; but last night’s broadcast showed all three principals in outstanding vocal shape. Rossini’s music is of course incomparable..

Here’s the finale (from last night’s performance) to the opera’s first act. Le Comte Ory – Act 1 finale

If it sounds familiar, it’s because almost all of this opera’s first act is recycled from Rossini’s 1825 opera Il Viaggio a Reims. The libretto has been changed to a new one in French, but the music is almost the same. The finale’s music is entirely the same. I was surprised that neither of the commentators last night mentioned Rossini’s reuse of earlier material. Il Viaggio a Reims – Act 1 finale. From a 2005 performance in Bologna.