Overture: The Silken Ladder (La scala di seta)

If the opera were only half as entertaining as the overture, The Silken Ladder would be as popular as any of Rossini’s many other comedies. Unfortunately, it was a flop when it was first performed at the Teatro san Moisè in Venice in 1812 and it is has not been much revived since then. The brilliant opening gesture of the overture, on the other hand, is immediately arresting - and all the more effective for being so dramatically cut short to make way for an elaborately expressive duet for oboe and flute. The first subject of the main Allegro section is an irresistibly cheerful little theme for violins which is duly offset by a more melodious second subject for flute and clarinet in octaves with teasing and chuckling comments from the rest of the woodwind. As in most Rossini overtures, the development is brief - in this case the second subject is presented in an intriguingly different harmonic context - and the recapitulation is crowned by a vigorous coda.