Biografia di Gioachino Rossini (Pesaro, 1792 - Passy, 1868).
One of opera's most intriguing figures, Gioachino Rossini, was born in Pesaro, Italy, on February 29, 1792. His father, the town trumpeter, and his mother, a singer, encouraged their son's musical talents; from an early age, Gioachino was an accomplished performer on the harpsichord, violin, and piano, as well as a boy soprano in the opera. He began his composing career with Demetrio e Polibio, which was first staged in 1812.
Rossini's first professional work was La Cambiale di Matrimonio "The Marriage Contract", a one-act opera buffa (comic opera) produced in Venice in 1810. During the next four years, Rossini composed several operas that were performed in Venice and Milan, and he began to earn a reputation as an inspired melodist. Of his works from this period only three are noteworthy: "Tancredi", an opera seria (a formalized genre of serious opera), which established Rossini's fame outside of Italy; L'Italiana in Algeri "The Italian Girl in Algiers", a sparkling comedy still frequently performed; and Il Turco in Italia "The Turk in Italy", an 1814 comedy.
Rossini next became music director of both opera houses in Naples. He wrote Elisabetta Regina d'Inghilterra "Elizabeth Queen of England" in 1815 for Isabella Colbran, a soprano he had met while a student in Bologna. Isabella went on to create the leading roles in several Rossini operas; in 1824, she became Rossini's wife. Elisabetta marks the first time that Rossini's recitatives - the half-spoken, half-sung expository section of the opera - were accompanied by the strings and not simply the harpsichord. In Rossini's Neapolitan operas, the composer's intentions came to be far more respected than in the past. The bel canto (beautiful singing) period in which he wrote was a time when singers improvised elaborate embellishments to display their technical virtuosity, often ornamenting the arias beyond recognition. By writing out the vocal decorations himself and insisting that the singers adhere to them, Rossini helped to contribute to the rise of the composer as the dominant musical personality. But even he could not completely curb his artists. The renowned soprano, Adelina Patti, once performed an aria from Rossini's "Il Barbiere di Siviglia" for the composer. "And how did you like the aria, maestro?" she asked. "A charming tune", replied Rossini dryly. "I wonder who wrote it?"
One of the commissions Rossini accepted during his tenure in Naples was for an opera entitled "Il Barbiere di Siviglia" (The Barber of Seville). Following the success of Il Barbiere, Rossini continued to compose prolifically:
- "Otello" (1816) contains some of his most beautiful music;
- "La Cenerentola" (1817), second only to Il Barbiere in popularity, is a hilarious Cinderella story;
- "La Gazza Ladra" (The Thieving Magpie, 1817) is best remembered for its sparkling overture;
- "Mose in Egitto" (Moses in Egypt, 1818) is described as "a tragic sacred drama";
- "La Donna del Lago" (The Lady of the Lake, 1819) has as its source a poem by Sir Walter Scott;
- "Semiramide" (1823) is a huge-scale opera with much coloratura writing.
Rossini traveled extensively throughout Europe. Settling in Paris, he was appointed director of the Theatre Italien, as well as Composer to the King and Inspector General of Singing. The Paris Opera produced a number of his works, including Le Siege de Corinthe "The Siege of Corinth" (1826), a monumental spectacle, and his final opera, the magnificent Guillaume Tell "William Tell", in 1829.
Guillaume Tell - whose spirited overture is familiar worldwide - is a seminal work in the history of French grand opera. In 1829, at the age of thirty-seven and at the height of his popularity, Rossini retired from composing. The only works he produced thereafter were for his own enjoyment, including two religious pieces, the "Stabat Mater" (1842) and the "Petite Messe Solonnelle" (1864).
A wealthy man, Rossini had no need to continue accepting commissions, and a life of self-indulgent leisure had always greatly appealed to him. Furthermore, he took a dim view of the new directions in which singing - and music in general - were heading; he felt that his style of opera belonged to a past generation. For his remaining thirty-nine years, Rossini lived a life of indolence and pleasure. A celebrated gourmet and "bon vivant," he turned his home in Paris into one of the most glittering salons in all of Europe. He died on February 13, 1868, still so prominent and respected that his death engendered numerous moving tributes.
Theatre in Rome: classics and opera in Roma
The "Theatre in Rome" site has a list of the main classical music and opera performances in Rome. You can buy tickets on-line and find useful information on the capital’s theatres.
Rome’s Auditorium: music, concerts and events
Auditorium presents symphony orchestra and chamber music and also has a varied programme of jazz, pop, rock, world music, cinema openings, plays, art exhibitions and literary performances.
