Beethoven and his contemporaries the third movement of Beethoven's 5th Symphony has an opening theme that is very similar to the one in Mozart's 40th Symphony. Beethoven wrote cadenzas (WoO 58) to the first and third movements of Mozart's Piano Concerto in D minor. Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868) was an Italian composer known for his numerous operas including "The Barber of Seville" and "William Tell". When Rossini visited Vienna, he made several attempts to meet Beethoven, who was then 51 and in failing health. Finally, Rossini was able to arrange a meeting with Beethoven through the help of Giuseppe Carpani, an Italian poet living in
Sarasota Opera Petrolini, President of the Club dei 27. Starting this fall, Sarasota Opera will launch a new venture entitled "Sarasota Firsts" in which the company will present operas never previously produced on the Sarasota Opera House stage. For the 2016/2017 season, Sarasota Opera will present three operas in association with this new series which will be "Don Pasquale" by "Gaetano Donizetti", "L'italiana in Algeri" by "Gioachino Rossini", and "Dialogues of the Carmelites" by "Francis Poulenc". The season will also include "Madama Butterfly" by "Giacomo Puccini" and "L'amore dei tre re" by "Italo Montemezzi". The series includes presentations of neglected works of