La gazza ladra

The Eurasian magpie is the protagonist of many folk tales and superstitions. Among the myths associated with it, the most prominent one is that it is a kleptomaniac that steals jewelry and keeps bringing shiny objects back to its nest. There is no scientific evidence for this, although in the 18th century a story was popular about a young maid from the town of Palaiseau near Paris who was sentenced to death for stealing silverware. The stolen goods were found in a magpie’s nest after the sentence had already been carried out.

A theme of a thieving magpie appeared in G. Rossini’s semiseria opera La gazza ladra (The Thieving Magpie). The libretto was penned by G. Gherardini, who wrote it for F. Paër; it was not until a year later that the unused text found its way into Rossini’s hands.

Gherardini based his work on a drama inspired by the story of a maid from Palaiseau, written by L. Ch. Caigniez and T. B. d’Aubigny. The librettist changed the ending to a happy one (in his version, the maid survives) and also incorporated several comedic scenes. Rossini spent nearly three months working on the music. He began in March, and by the end of May 1817, the opera premiered to great acclaim at La Scala in Milan.

The Thieving Magpie took the stages of Europe’s finest theaters by storm (it was also staged in Poland in 1825, 1830, and 1833). In Warsaw, Rossini’s work was admired by, among others, a teenage F. Chopin, who later incorporated the melody from one of the arias into one of his polonaises. In the mid-1960s, The Thieving Magpie was shown in Florence and London, and later during subsequent editions of the Pesaro Festival. Thanks to its masterful blend of elements from opera seria and opera buffa, brilliant ensemble scenes, superb characterization, and a spirited overture, the work has secured its place in the history of opera.

------------------
author of the text: Dorota Staszkiewicz