Rossini, much admired by Chopin, composed the entire opera in 24 days. In this aria, Angelina (aka Cenerentola) bids farewell to all the days spent as a housekeeper in her stepfather's house. The theme of these brilliant variations comes from the aria “Non più mesta accanto al fuoco”, which is the finale of Rossini's opera “La Cenerentola” (Cinderella). It is in a typical variation form for the period, with each of the four variations a decorated version of the original tune. This set of variations on a popular Rossini aria is charming, fluent, and not lacking in imagination.
