What is Rossini famous for?
List of Gioacchino Rossini Operas
- Adelaide di Borgogna. Adelaide di Borgogna, ossia Ottone, re d'Italia is a two-act opera composed by Gioachino Rossini to a libretto by Giovanni Schmidt.
- Adina. ...
- Armida
- Aureliano in Palmira. ...
- Bianca e Falliero. ...
- Ciro in Babilonia. ...
- Demetrio e Polibio. ...
- Eduardo e Cristina
- Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra
- Ermione
What was Rossinis's last opera?
William Tell: Rossini's last opera Rossini's William Tell is a French-language opera in four acts to a libretto by Victor-Joseph Étienne de Jouy and L. F. Bis . At the age of 37 Rossini composed this last opera, a great work originally planned for 1828, but it took until August 1829 for the first performance by the Paris Opéra at the Salle Le Peletier .
What opera is Gioacchino Rossini known for writing?
Gioacchino RossiniThe operas of the Italian composer Gioacchino Rossini (1792-1868), particularly those in the comic genre, were among the most popular works of the entire 19th century. His best-known work is " The Barber of Seville." Source for information on Gioacchino Rossini: Encyclopedia of World Biography dictionary.
What is Gioacchino Rossini style?
Rossini had already broken the traditional form of opera buffa: he embellished his melodies (he was the true creator of bel canto, a florid style of singing), animated his ensembles and finales, used unusual rhythms, restored to the orchestra its rightful place, and put the singer at the service of the music.
What are some interesting facts about Rossini?
1. He was a leap-year baby. Rossini was born February 29, 1792. A few months before he died, he celebrated his 19th “actual” birthday. 2. He wrote the bulk of his operas in only 10 years.
Where is Rossini buried?
Rossini died in Paris and was buried at the famous Père Lachaise Cemetery (where you can find other notable names like Chopin, Molière, Jim Morrison, and Oscar Wilde). His tomb is absolutely impressive with huge wrought iron doors and a stone surround. However, it is also empty.
How many operas did Gioachino Rossini write?
Gioachino Rossini is a name well-known in opera circles. Although the Italian composer did write many songs, chamber works, and piano pieces, his 39 operas are what propelled him to fame during his time and what keeps his name alive in concert programs around the world. He is the man behind The Barber of Seville and William Tell – both ...
Why did Rossini work as an altar boy?
His biographers noted that when he was a child, Rossini worked as an altar boy just so he could drink the sacramental wine left over after mass. When we moved to Paris, he became close friends with a chef who dedicated recipes to Rossini and, in turn, the composer wrote piano pieces dedicated to entrees and desserts.
Who was Rossini's second wife?
When Rossini passed away in 1868, his second wife, Olympe, inherited a large sum, which, when she passed, was used to establish a conservatory of music in Pesaro, Italy (his birthplace) and a home for retired opera singers in Paris. 7. He was a man of great wit who loved to entertain.
How long did Rossini write The Barber of Seville?
At his wife Olympe’s request, his remains were relocated to the church of Sta Croce in Florence. 9. He wrote The Barber of Seville in less than three weeks. Rossini allegedly wrote his most famous opera in less than three weeks (he claimed 12 days).
Who did Rossini mentor?
Even after retirement he continued to mentor emerging young composers, including Verdi who greatly admired Rossini’s work.
Where is Rossini buried?
Rossini’s tomb is empty. In 1868, he was buried in a grand stone tomb in Paris' famous Père Lachaise Cemetery but in 1887 his wife moved his remains to the Basilica Santa Croce in Florence.
What is Tournedos Rossini?
Tournedos Rossini is an eye fillet topped with a slice of foie gras, garnished with truffle and finished with a Madeira or port wine sauce. At age 23, Rossini composed his famous comic opera The Barber of Seville in less than three weeks. (He claims 12 days). He was an opera-writing machine.
What was the success of Rossini's opera?
The success of Tancredi made Rossini's name known internationally; productions of the opera followed in London (1820) and New York (1825). Within weeks of Tancredi, Rossini had another box-office success with his comedy L'italiana in Algeri, composed in great haste and premiered in May 1813.
Who wrote Rossini's biography?
Stendhal, who published a colourful biography of Rossini in 1824, wrote: Rossini's portion from his father, was the true native heirship of an Italian: a little music, a little religion, and a volume of Ariosto.
What happened to Rossini in 1820?
By the early 1820s Rossini was beginning to tire of Naples. The failure of his operatic tragedy Ermione the previous year convinced him that he and the Neapolitan audiences had had enough of each other. An insurrection in Naples against the monarchy, though quickly crushed, unsettled Rossini; when Barbaia signed a contract to take the company to Vienna, Rossini was glad to join them, but did not reveal to Barbaia that he had no intention of returning to Naples afterwards. He travelled with Colbran, in March 1822, breaking their journey at Bologna, where they were married in the presence of his parents in a small church in Castenaso a few miles from the city. The bride was thirty-seven, the groom thirty.
How old was Rossini when he wrote his first opera?
His first opera was performed in Venice in 1810 when he was 18 years old. In 1815 he was engaged to write operas and manage theatres in Naples. In the period 1810–1823 he wrote 34 operas for the Italian stage that were performed in Venice, Milan, Ferrara, Naples and elsewhere; this productivity necessitated an almost formulaic approach for some components (such as overtures) and a certain amount of self-borrowing. During this period he produced his most popular works, including the comic operas L'italiana in Algeri, Il barbiere di Siviglia (known in English as The Barber of Seville) and La Cenerentola, which brought to a peak the opera buffa tradition he inherited from masters such as Domenico Cimarosa and Giovanni Paisiello. He also composed opera seria works such as Otello, Tancredi and Semiramide. All of these attracted admiration for their innovation in melody, harmonic and instrumental colour, and dramatic form. In 1824 he was contracted by the Opéra in Paris, for which he produced an opera to celebrate the coronation of Charles X, Il viaggio a Reims (later cannibalised for his first opera in French, Le comte Ory ), revisions of two of his Italian operas, Le siège de Corinthe and Moïse, and in 1829 his last opera, Guillaume Tell .
How many performances of Le Comte Ory did Rossini have?
It was Rossini's last opera with an Italian libretto. He permitted only four performances of the piece, intending to reuse the best of the music in a less ephemeral opera. About half the score of Le comte Ory (1828) is from the earlier work. Isolier, Ory, Adèle and Ragonde, in Le comte Ory.
What year did Rossini move to Naples?
1814 was a less remarkable year for the rising composer, neither Il turco in Italia or Sigismondo pleasing the Milanese or Venetian public, respectively. 1815 marked an important stage in Rossini's career. In May he moved to Naples, to take up the post of director of music for the royal theatres.
Why did Rossini retire from opera?
Rossini's withdrawal from opera for the last 40 years of his life has never been fully explained; contributary factors may have been ill-health, the wealth his success had brought him, and the rise of spectacular grand opera under composers such as Giacomo Meyerbeer.
What did Rossini suffer from?
However, he suffered from neurasthenia and depression, a condition that was not recognized at that time. More specifically, during his fourth decade, he experienced a decline in his productivity., where periods of deep depression occurred alongside lassitude and insomnia. Adding to that, he developed pathological obesity and suicidal thoughts. In an academic article published in 1965, Dr. Daniel Schwartz maintains that, due to some psychological, unresolved issues with his deceased mother, Rossini’s relationship with his mistress and second wife Olympe Pelissier was sadomasochistic and dependent.
What are some interesting facts about Gioachino Rossini?
Six Curious Facts About Gioachino Rossini. Gioachino Rossini was born in Pesaro, which was part of the Papal states, in 1792. His father Giuseppe was a semi-professional trumpeter member of a local orchestra who played in support of the French troops, while his mother was an aspiring singer. He spent his adolescence in Bologna, where he enrolled in ...
Why was Il Barbiere di Siviglia unsuccessful?
That’s because the the Romans, in fact, loved Giovanni Paisiello’s version of Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais’s play and took an immediate dislike to Rossini’s adaptation. What’s more, Paisiello himself had played on mob mentality, provoking the audience to openly voice their dislike for Rossini’s opera. Soon, however, the opera acquired general success. The role of the heroine Rosina had originally been written for a contralto, even though,because of (perceived) scarcity of contraltos, the role has been most frequently sung by coloratura mezzo-soprano or a coloratura soprano. Allegedly, Rossini wrote Il Barbiere di Siviglia in less than three weeks (he said twelve days)
What happened to Rossini and Colbran?
The couple separated in 1837—at that time, Rossini became involved with Olympe Pélissier— and her health went into decline after contracting gonorrhea. She had gambling issue. Even later in Rossini’s life, he idealized Colbran’s voice, technique and temperament, defining her the greatest songstress.
How many times did Gioachino Rossini weep?
Rossini’s neurasthenia. Gioachino Rossini was known for his jovial personality “ I have only wept three times in my life: the first time when my earliest opera failed, the second time when, with a boating party, a truffled turkey fell into the water, and the third time when I first heard Paganini play ,” he said.
What did Rossini learn from Haydn?
Studying the scores of Haydn and Mozart, Rossini mastered the art of symphony and the language of counterpoint, which allowed him to stand out not only in his arias, but also in the symphonies and in the concertati. When asked about his musical preference he remained faithful to his student-day heroes. “ I take Beethoven twice a week, Haydn four times, but Mozart every day… Mozart is always adorable. ”
How old was Rossini when he retired?
He acquired international fame by the age of 20, with Tancredi and L’Italiana in Algeri. However, he retired at age 37 . Known for his rhythmic brilliance, Rossini wrote musical numbers whose frenzy marks a departure from the style of 18th century opera.
Who published the operas of Rossini?
The operas are catalogued in a critical edition from the Fondazione Rossini [ it] and published by Casa Ricordi, Pesaro ( Fondazione Rossini (1979–2021) ). This edition identifies individual operas by their EC numbers ( Edizione critica ).
Who is the most famous Italian composer?
The Italian composer Gioachino Rossini (1792–1868) is best known for his operas, of which he wrote 39 between 1806 and 1829. Adopting the opera buffa style of Domenico Cimarosa and Giovanni Paisiello, Rossini became the dominate composer of Italian opera during the first half of the 19th-century. Though working at the same time as Vincenzo Bellini and Gaetano Donizetti, he was recognized by his contemporaries as the greatest Italian composer of his time, an evaluation which has lasted into the 21st-century.
What is the name of the music in Le Neveu de Monseigneur?
Le Neveu de Monseigneur. (consists of music adapted by Luc Guėnėe from operas by Rossini and other composers, including Pacini, Fioravanti and Morlacchi) pastiche. 2 acts. Jean-François Bayard, Thomas Sauvage and Romieu. 7 August 1826. Paris, Odéon. Le testament.
What is the name of the opera that Gioachino Rossini wrote?
Le siège de Corinthe. Le siège de Corinthe is an opera in three acts by Gioachino Rossini set to a French libretto by Luigi Balocchi and Alexandre Soumet, which was based on the reworking of some of the music from the... more.
What is the opera Adina?
Adina. Adina is an operatic farsa in one act by Gioachino Rossini with a libretto by Marchese Gherardo Bevilacqua-Aldobrandini. The opera develops the popular theme of the "abduction from the seraglio". The... more.
What is the opera Demetrio e Polibio?
Demetrio e Polibio is a two-act operatic dramma serio by Gioachino Rossini to a libretto by Vincenzina Viganò-Mombelli. The opera was orchestrated for strings only. Demetrio e Polibio was Rossini's... more
What is the opera Ricciardo e Zoraide based on?
The text is based on cantos XIV and XV of Il Ricciardetto, an epic poem by Niccolò... more.
Who wrote Ciro in Babilonia?
Ciro in Babilonia, ossia La caduta di Baldassare is an azione sacra in two acts by Gioachino Rossini with a libretto by Francesco Aventi. It was first performed at the Teatro Comunale, Ferrara during... more
Who wrote Adelaide di Borgogna?
Adelaide di Borgogna, ossia Ottone, re d'Italia is a two-act opera composed by Gioachino Rossini to a libretto by Giovanni Schmidt. It was premièred at the Teatro Argentina in Rome on 27 December... more
Who wrote Eduardo e Cristina?
Eduardo e Cristina. Eduardo e Cristina is an operatic 'dramma' in two acts by Gioachino Rossini to an Italian libretto originally written by Giovanni Schmidt for Odoardo e Cristina, an opera by Stefano Pavesi, and... more.
Overview
Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer who gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote many songs, some chamber music and piano pieces, and some sacred music. He set new standards for both comic and serious opera before retiring from large-scale composition while still in his thirties, at the height of his popularity.
Life and career
Rossini was born in 1792 in Pesaro, a town on the Adriatic coast of Italy that was then part of the Papal States. He was the only child of Giuseppe Rossini, a trumpeter and horn player, and his wife Anna, née Guidarini, a seamstress by trade, daughter of a baker. Giuseppe Rossini was charming but impetuous and feckless; the burden of supporting the family and raising the child fell mainly o…
Music
The writer Julian Budden, noting the formulas adopted early on by Rossini in his career and consistently followed by him thereafter as regards overtures, arias, structures and ensembles, has called them "the Code Rossini" in a reference to the Code Napoléon, the legal system established by the French Emperor. Rossini's overall style may indeed have been influenced more directly by the Fr…
Influence and legacy
The popularity of Rossini's melodies led many contemporary virtuosi to create piano transcriptions or fantasies based on them. Examples include Sigismond Thalberg's fantasy on themes from Moïse, the sets of variations on "Non più mesta" from La Cenerentola by Henri Herz, Frédéric Chopin, Franz Hünten, Anton Diabelli and Friedrich Burgmüller, and Liszt's transcriptions of the William Tell o…
Notes, references and sources
1. ^ According to his baptismal certificate, Rossini's first name was originally Giovacchino, and he is so referred to in at least one later document from his early years. In the Cambridge Companion to Rossini, the editor, Emanuele Senici, writes that Rossini spelt the name variously as Gioachino or Gioacchino in his early years, before finally settling on the former in the 1830s. The latter spelling is now more usual among bearers of the forename, but Rossini experts generally regar…
External links
• Fondazione Gioachino Rossini, Pesaro (in Italian)
• The Center for Italian Opera Studies: Rossini critical edition
• Free scores by Rossini at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)
• Free scores by Gioachino Rossini in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)