First heard with the premiere of the opera on May 22, 1813 in Venice at the Teatro San Benedetto, Rossini's overture grew in popularity as rapidly as the opera - a staple of the repertoire since the beginning. As with the other overtures, this one has not been treated very well by publishers over the decades. Part of the problem stems from the composer's own manuscripts which were the product of rapid composing under pressure from opera houses. Many things which were simply assumed by perform...