Pasticcio

What it means

A pasticcio (Italian for "pie") is an opera or stage work assembled from arias and other pieces by different composers. An arranger joined the parts into a plot, often wrote individual numbers anew and adapted recitatives. The result was a work that bore several hands.

Musical use

The pasticcio was very popular in the 18th century in Italy, London and other musical centers, because it offered audiences well-known, favorite arias in a new setting and singers could insert their favorite pieces. George Frideric Handel also put such works together in London. Later the term was used more generally for compilations and imitations of style.

The pasticcio should be distinguished from the opera of a single composer, from opera seria, which is written in one piece, and from the potpourri, which merely strings melodies together loosely.

Performance practice

If you perform a pasticcio, note the stylistic differences between the numbers. Connect them through convincing dramatic shaping and transitions, so that the work has an effect as a whole despite the different origins.