At the age of 21, Italian composer Giacchino Rossini penned the masterful comic opera L'ITALIANA IN ALGERI (The Italian Girl in Algiers) in less than a month. The composer's youthful exuberance comes across in this infectious 1987 performance at the Zurich Opera House. Though she's known mainly for her Wagner roles, acclaimed German mezzo-soprano Doris Soffel shines in the title role of Isabella. Ralf Weikert conducts, and Mauro Pagano oversees sets and costumes.