Rossini and beyond

Speranza

Thanks to G. M. for the
I would search for a book called "Changing the Score: Arias, Prima Donnas and
the Authority in Performance" by Hilary Porriss. Poriss has a whole chapter on
Rosina's lesson scene going from Giorgi-Righetti down through Henriette
Sontag to Lind and Patti (Queen of the multi-aria mini concert) to the
twentieth century.

You can read extracts on her chapter on the lessons scene here:

http://books.google.com/books?
id=UyQa8HJ_C98C&pg=PA160&lpg=PA160&dq=patti+lesson+scene&source=bl&o
ts=oIe_oTq6LE&sig=09be3d9Q9_FICMXiJiaQCx1wiro&hl=en&sa=X&ei=TkdrULOm
G8i10AHm54GoDw&ved=0CCAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=patti%20lesson%
20scene&f=false

Popular choices included Rode's Variations, Home Sweet Home and Ah, Non
Giunge from "La Sonnambula" which Sembrich sometimes interpolated into the
finale. I have a pirate of Bidu Sayao from the Met in the 40's and she
sings "Bel Raggio Lusingher" from "Semiramide".