Luigi Cherubini (1760–1842) was one of the most celebrated composers in Europe at the turn of the nineteenth century. Originally from Italy, Cherubini spent most of his career in Paris, where his operas enjoyed particular success during the Revolutionary period. The opera Lodoïska (1791) was his... Show moreLuigi Cherubini (1760–1842) was one of the most celebrated composers in Europe at the turn of the nineteenth century. Originally from Italy, Cherubini spent most of his career in Paris, where his operas enjoyed particular success during the Revolutionary period. The opera Lodoïska (1791) was his first international success. The plot centers on the imprisonment of the young heroine, Lodoïska, in the castle of the villain Dourlinski, and her eventual rescue by her lover Count Floreski and his band of Tatar warriors. The opera’s dramatic climax was a spectacular scene in which the castle burns and part of the wall collapses to reveal the battling soldiers. Lodoiska’s themes of heroism and triumph over injustice influenced many later operas, including Beethoven’s Fidelio. The opera’s overture was one of the first pieces in the Panharmonicon’s playlist, presumably in an abridged form. Show less
