Italian composer Rossini: biography, creativity, life story and best works. "William Tell" - the composer's last opera

Gioachino Rossini - Italian wind and wind composer chamber music, the so-called "last classic". As the author of 39 operas, Gioachino Rossini is known as one of the most prolific composers with a unique approach to creativity: in addition to studying the musical culture of the country, it includes working with the language, rhythm and sound of the libretto. Rossini was noted by Beethoven for his opera buffa " Barber of Seville" The works "William Tell", "Cinderella" and "Moses in Egypt" have become world opera classics.

Rossini was born in 1792 in the city of Pesaro into a family of musicians. After his father was arrested for supporting the French Revolution, the future composer had to live wandering around Italy with his mother. At the same time, the young talent tried to master musical instruments and was engaged in singing: Gioacchino had a strong baritone.

Rossini's work was greatly influenced by the works of Mozart and Haydn, which Rossini learned while studying in the city of Lugo from 1802. There he made his debut as an opera performer in the play “Twins”. In 1806, having moved to Bologna, the composer entered the Musical Lyceum, where he studied solfeggio, cello and piano.

The composer's debut took place in 1810 at the Venetian Teatro San Moise, where an opera buffa based on the libretto of The Marriage Bill was staged. Inspired by success, Rossini wrote the opera seria Cyrus in Babylon, or the Fall of Belshazzar, and in 1812 the opera Touchstone, which brought Gioacchino recognition from La Scala. Next works“An Italian Woman in Algiers” and “Tancred” brought Rossini the fame of a maestro of buffoonery, and for his penchant for melodious and melodic harmonies, Rossini received the nickname “Italian Mozart”.

Having moved to Naples in 1816, the composer wrote the best work of Italian buffoonery - the opera The Barber of Seville, which eclipsed the opera of the same name by Giovanni Paisiello, which was considered a classic. After resounding success, the composer moved on to operatic drama, writing “The Thieving Magpie” and “Othello” - operas in which the author worked not only on the scores, but also on the text, setting strict demands on the soloists.

After successful work in Vienna and London, the composer conquered Paris with the opera “The Siege of Corinth” in 1826. Rossini skillfully adapted his operas for the French public, studying the nuances of the language, its sound, as well as the characteristics of national music.

The musician's active creative career ended in 1829, when classicism was replaced by romanticism. Rossini then teaches music and enjoys gourmet cuisine: the latter led to a stomach illness that caused the musician’s death in 1868 in Paris. The musician's property was sold according to his will, and with the proceeds, an Educational Conservatory was founded in the city of Pesaro, which trains musicians today.

The famous Italian composer Gioachino Rossini was born on February 29, 1792 in the small town of Pesaro, located on the coast of the Gulf of Venice.

From childhood he became involved in music. His father, Giuseppe Rossini, nicknamed Veselchak for his playful disposition, was a city trumpeter, and his mother, a woman of rare beauty, had a wonderful voice. There were always songs and music in the house.

Being a supporter of the French Revolution, Giuseppe Rossini joyfully welcomed the entry of revolutionary units into Italian territory in 1796. The restoration of the power of the Pope was marked by the arrest of the head of the Rossini family.

Having lost his job, Giuseppe and his wife were forced to become traveling musicians. Rossini's father was a horn player in orchestras that performed in fair performances, and his mother performed opera arias. The beautiful soprano of Gioacchino, who sang in church choirs, also brought income to the family. The boy's voice was highly valued by the choirmasters of Lugo and Bologna. In the last of these cities, famous for its musical traditions, the Rossini family found shelter.

In 1804, at the age of 12, Gioacchino began to study music professionally. Became his teacher church composer Angelo Thesei, under whose guidance the boy quickly mastered the rules of counterpoint, as well as the art of accompaniment and singing. A year later, young Rossini set off on a journey through the cities of Romagna as a bandmaster.

Realizing the incompleteness of his musical education, Gioacchino decided to continue it at the Bologna Musical Lyceum, where he was enrolled as a student in the cello class. Counterpoint and composition classes were supplemented self-study scores and manuscripts from the rich Lyceum library.

His passion for the work of such famous musical figures as Cimarosa, Haydn and Mozart had a special influence on Rossini’s development as a musician and composer. While still a student at the Lyceum, he became a member of the Bologna Academy, and after graduation, in recognition of his talent, he received an invitation to conduct a performance of Haydn’s oratorio “The Seasons.”

Gioachino Rossini showed an amazing ability to work early; he quickly coped with any creative task, demonstrating the wonders of an amazing compositional technique. During the years of study they wrote a large number of musical works, including spiritual compositions, symphonies, instrumental music And vocal works, as well as excerpts from the opera “Demetrio and Polibio”, Rossini’s first composition in this genre.

The year he graduated from the musical lyceum was marked by the beginning of Rossini’s simultaneous activities as a singer, conductor and opera composer.

The period from 1810 to 1815 was marked in the life of the famous composer as “vagrant”; during this time Rossini wandered from one city to another, not staying anywhere for more than two to three months.

The fact is that in Italy of the 18th - 19th centuries, permanent opera houses existed only in large cities - such as Milan, Venice and Naples, small settlements one had to be content with the art of traveling theater troupes, usually consisting of a prima donna, a tenor, a bass and several singers in supporting roles. The orchestra was recruited from local music lovers, military personnel and traveling musicians.

The maestro (composer), hired by the impresario of the troupe, wrote music to the provided libretto, and the performance was staged, while the maestro himself had to conduct the opera. If the production was successful, the work was performed for 20–30 days, after which the troupe disbanded and the artists scattered to cities.

Within five for long years Gioachino Rossini wrote operas for traveling theaters and artists. Close collaboration with performers contributed to the development of great compositional flexibility; it was necessary to take into account the vocal abilities of each singer, the tessitura and timbre of his voice, artistic temperament and much more.

Admiration from the public and pittance fees - that's what Rossini received as a reward for his composer activity. His early works showed some haste and carelessness, which attracted severe criticism. Thus, the composer Paisiello, who saw Gioachino Rossini as a formidable rival, spoke of him as “a dissolute composer, little versed in the rules of art and devoid of good taste.”

Criticism did not bother the young composer, since he was well aware of the shortcomings of his works; in some scores he even noted so-called grammatical errors with the words “to satisfy pedants.”

In the first years of independent creative activity Rossini worked on writing mainly comic operas, which had strong roots in musical culture Italy. The genre of serious opera occupied an important place in his further work.

Unprecedented success came to Rossini in 1813, after productions in Venice of the works “Tancred” (opera seria) and “The Italian in Algiers” (opera buffa). The doors of the best theaters in Milan, Venice and Rome opened before him, arias from his compositions were sung at carnivals, city squares and streets.

Gioachino Rossini became one of most popular composers Italy. Memorable melodies, filled with irrepressible temperament, fun, heroic pathos and love lyrics, made an unforgettable impression on the entire Italian society, be it aristocratic circles or the society of artisans.

The composer’s patriotic ideas, sounding in many of his works, also found a response. late period. Thus, a patriotic theme unexpectedly wedges itself into the typically buffoonish plot of “Italian Woman in Algeria” with fights, scenes of disguises and lovers getting into trouble.

The main character of the opera, Isabella, addresses her beloved Lindor, who is languishing in captivity of the Algerian Bey Mustafa, with the words: “Think about your homeland, be undaunted and do your duty. Look: sublime examples of valor and dignity are being revived throughout Italy.” This aria reflected the patriotic feelings of the era.

In 1815, Rossini moved to Naples, where he was offered a position as a composer at the Teatro San Carlo, which promised a number of lucrative prospects, such as high fees and work with famous performers. The move to Naples marked the end of the period of “vagrancy” for the young Gioachino.

From 1815 to 1822, Rossini worked in one of the best theaters in Italy, at the same time he toured the country and carried out orders for other cities. On the stage of the Neapolitan theater, the young composer made his debut with the opera seria “Elizabeth, Queen of England,” which was a new word in traditional Italian opera.

Since ancient times, the aria as a form of solo singing has been the musical core of such works; the composer was faced with the task of outlining only the musical lines of the opera and highlighting the main melodic contour in the vocal parts.

The success of the work in this case depended only on the improvisational talent and taste of the virtuoso performer. Rossini departed from a long-standing tradition: violating the rights of the singer, he wrote out all the coloraturas, virtuoso passages and embellishments of the aria in the score. Soon this innovation entered the work of other Italian composers.

The Neapolitan period contributed to the improvement musical genius Rossini and the composer's transition from the light genre of comedy to more serious music.

The situation of growing social upsurge, which was resolved by the Carbonari uprising in 1820–1821, required more significant and heroic images than the frivolous characters of comedies. Thus, the opera seria had more opportunities to express new trends, sensitively perceived by Gioachino Rossini.

For a number of years, the main object of the outstanding composer’s work was serious opera. Rossini sought to change the musical and plot standards of traditional opera seria, defined at the beginning of the 18th century. He tried to introduce significant content and drama into this style, to expand connections with real life and the ideas of his time, in addition, the composer gave the serious opera activity and dynamics borrowed from the buffa opera.

The time spent working in the Neapolitan theater turned out to be very significant in its achievements and results. During this period, such works as “Tancred”, “Othello” (1816) were written, which reflected Rossini’s attraction to high drama, as well as monumental heroic writings"Moses in Egypt" (1818) and "Mohammed II" (1820).

Emerging in Italian music romantic tendencies demanded new artistic images and means of musical expression. Rossini's opera “The Lady of the Lake” (1819) reflected such features of the romantic style in music as picturesque descriptions and the transmission of lyrical experiences.

The best works of Gioachino Rossini are rightfully considered “The Barber of Seville,” created in 1816 for production in Rome during the carnival holidays and the result of the composer’s many years of work on a comic opera, and the heroic-romantic work “William Tell.”

“The Barber of Seville” preserves all the most vital and vibrant elements of opera buffa: the democratic traditions of the genre and national elements are enriched in this work, permeated through and through with intelligent, biting irony, sincere fun and optimism, realistic depiction surrounding reality.

The first production of The Barber of Seville, written in just 19 or 20 days, was unsuccessful, but already at the second showing the audience enthusiastically greeted the famous composer, and there was even a torchlight procession in honor of Rossini.

The basis opera libretto, consisting of two acts and four scenes, is based on the plot of the work of the same name by the famous French playwright Beaumarchais. The location of the events unfolding on the stage is Spanish Seville, the main characters are Count Almaviva, his beloved Rosina, the barber, doctor and musician Figaro, Doctor Bartolo, Rosina’s guardian and the monk Don Basilio, Bartolo’s confidant of secret affairs.

In the first scene of the first act, the loving Count Almaviva wanders near the house of Doctor Bartolo, where his beloved lives. His lyrical aria is heard by Rosina’s cunning guardian, who himself has designs on his ward. The “master of all sorts” Figaro, inspired by the Count’s promises, comes to the aid of the lovers.

The action of the second picture takes place in Bartolo’s house, in the room of Rosina, who dreams of sending a letter to her admirer Lindor (Count Almaviva is hiding under this name). At this time, Figaro appears and offers his services, but the unexpected arrival of his guardian forces him to hide. Figaro learns about the insidious plans of Bartolo and Don Basilio and hurries to warn Rosina about this.

Soon Almaviva bursts into the house under the guise of a drunken soldier, and Bartolo tries to push him out the door. In this turmoil, the Count manages to quietly pass a note to his beloved and inform her that Lindor is him. Figaro is also here, together with Bartolo’s servants, he is trying to separate the owner of the house from Almaviva.

Everyone falls silent only with the arrival of a team of soldiers. The officer gives the order to arrest the count, but the paper presented with a majestic gesture instantly changes his behavior. The government representative bows respectfully before the disguised Almaviva, causing bewilderment among everyone present.

The second act takes place in Bartolo’s room, where the love-struck count comes, disguised as a monk, posing as the singing teacher Don Alonzo. To gain Dr. Bartolo's trust, Almaviva gives him Rosina's note. The girl, recognizing her Lindor in the monk, willingly begins her studies, but the presence of Bartolo interferes with the lovers.

At this time, Figaro arrives and offers the old man a shave. By cunning, the barber manages to take possession of the key to Rosina's balcony. The arrival of Don Basilio threatens to ruin the well-performed performance, but he is “removed” from the stage in time. The lesson resumes, Figaro continues the shaving procedure, trying to shield the lovers from Bartolo, but the deception is revealed. Almaviva and the barber are forced to flee.

Bartolo, taking advantage of Rosina’s note, carelessly given to him by the count, persuades the disappointed girl to sign a marriage contract. Rosina reveals to her guardian the secret of her impending escape, and he goes after the guards.

At this time, Almaviva and Figaro enter the girl’s room. The Count asks Rosina to become his wife and receives consent. The lovers want to leave the house as soon as possible, but an unexpected obstacle arises in the form of a lack of stairs near the balcony and the arrival of Don Basilio with a notary.

The appearance of Figaro, who declared Rosina his niece and Count Almaviva her fiancé, saves the situation. Doctor Bartolo, who came with guards, finds the ward’s marriage already accomplished. In an impotent rage, he attacks the “traitor” Basilio and the “scoundrel” Figaro, but Almaviva’s generosity wins him over, and he joins the general chorus of welcome.

The libretto of “The Barber of Seville” differs significantly from the original source: here the social acuity and satirical orientation of Beaumarchais’s comedy turned out to be greatly softened. For Rossini, Count Almaviva is a lyrical character, and not an empty rake-aristocrat. His sincere feelings and the desire for happiness triumph over the selfish plans of the guardian Bartolo.

Figaro appears as a cheerful, dexterous and enterprising person, in whose role there is not even a hint of moralizing or philosophizing. Figaro's life credo is laughter and jokes. These two characters are contrasted with negative heroes - the stingy old man Bartolo and the hypocritical bigot Don Basilio.

Cheerful, sincere, infectious laughter is the main instrument of Gioachino Rossini, who in his musical comedies and the farce is based on the traditional images of the buffa opera - a loving guardian, a clever servant, a pretty pupil and a cunning monk.

Animating these masks with features of realism, the composer gives them the appearance of people, as if snatched from reality. It happened that the action or character depicted on stage was associated by the public with a certain event, incident or specific person.

Thus, The Barber of Seville is realistic comedy, the realism of which is manifested not only in the plot and dramatic situations, but also in generalized human characters, in the composer’s ability to typify the phenomena of contemporary life.

The overture, which precedes the events of the opera, sets the tone for the entire work. It immerses you in an atmosphere of fun and casual jokes. Subsequently, the mood created by the overture is concretized in a certain fragment of the comedy.

Despite the fact that this musical introduction was repeatedly used by Rossini in other works, it is perceived as an integral part of The Barber of Seville. Each theme of the overture is based on a new melodic basis, and the connecting parts create continuity of transitions and give the overture organic integrity.

The fascination of the operatic action of “The Barber of Seville” depends on the variety of Rossini used compositional techniques: introduction, the effect of which is the result of a combination of stage and musical action; alternating recitatives and dialogues with solo arias characterizing a particular character, and duets; ensemble scenes with a through line of development, designed to mix various plot threads and maintain intense interest in the further development of events; orchestral parts supporting the rapid tempo of the opera.

The source of the melody and rhythm of “The Barber of Seville” by Gioachino Rossini is the bright temperamental italian music. In the score of this work one can hear everyday song and dance turns and rhythms that form the basis of this musical comedy.

Created after “The Barber of Seville,” the works “Cinderella” and “The Magpie is a Thief” are far from the usual comedy genre. The composer pays more attention to lyrical characteristics and dramatic situations. However, with all his desire for something new, Rossini could not completely overcome the conventions of serious opera.

In 1822, together with a troupe of Italian artists famous composer went on a two-year tour of the capitals of European countries. Fame walked ahead of the famous maestro; a luxurious reception, huge fees and the best theaters and performers in the world awaited him everywhere.

In 1824, Rossini became the head of the Italian opera house in Paris and in this post did a lot to promote Italian opera music. In addition, the famous maestro patronized young Italian composers and musicians.

During the Parisian period, Rossini wrote a number of works for French opera, many old works have been reworked. Thus, the opera “Mahomet II” in the French version was called “The Siege of Coronf” and enjoyed success on the Parisian stage. The composer managed to make his works more realistic and dramatic, to achieve simplicity and naturalness of musical speech.

The influence of the French operatic tradition manifested itself in a more strict interpretation opera plot, shifting the emphasis from lyrical scenes to heroic ones, simplifying vocal style, giving greater value crowd scenes, chorus and ensemble, as well as careful attention to the opera orchestra.

All works of the Parisian period appeared preparatory stage on the way to creating the heroic-romantic opera "William Tell", in which the solo arias of traditional Italian operas were replaced by mass choral scenes.

The libretto of this work, which tells about the national liberation war of the Swiss cantons against the Austrians, fully met the patriotic sentiments of Gioachino Rossini and the demands of the leading public on the eve revolutionary events 1830.

The composer worked on William Tell for several months. The premiere, which took place in the fall of 1829, aroused rave reviews from the public, but this opera did not receive much recognition or popularity. Outside France, the production of William Tell was taboo.

Pictures of folk life and traditions of the Swiss served only as a background for depicting the anger and indignation of the oppressed people, the finale of the work is an uprising masses against foreign enslavers - reflected the feelings of the era.

The most famous fragment of the opera "William Tell" was the overture, remarkable for its colorfulness and skill - an expression of the multifaceted composition of the entire musical work.

The artistic principles used by Rossini in William Tell found application in the works of many figures of French and Italian opera XIX century. And in Switzerland they even wanted to erect a monument to the famous composer, whose work contributed to the intensification of the national liberation struggle of the Swiss people.

The opera "William Tell" was the last work of Gioachino Rossini, who at the age of 40 suddenly stopped writing opera music and began organizing concerts and performances. In 1836, the famous composer returned to Italy, where he lived until the mid-1850s. Rossini provided all possible assistance to the Italian rebels and even wrote the national anthem in 1848.

However, a serious nervous illness forced Rossini to move to Paris, where he spent the rest of his life. His house became one of the centers artistic life French capital, many world famous Italian and French singers, composers and pianists.

His departure from opera did not weaken Rossini’s fame, which came to him in his youth and did not leave him even after his death. From what was created in the second half of life special attention collections of romances and duets deserve " Musical evenings", as well as sacred music "Stabat mater".

Gioachino Rossini died in Paris in 1868, at the age of 76. A few years later, his ashes were sent to Florence and buried in the pantheon of the Church of Santa Croce - a kind of tomb of the best representatives of Italian culture.

Italy is an amazing country. Either the nature there is special, or the people living there are extraordinary, but the world’s best works of art are somehow connected with this Mediterranean state. Music is a separate page in the life of Italians. Ask any of them what the name of the great Italian composer Rossini was, and you will immediately receive the correct answer.

Talented bel canto singer

It seems that the gene of musicality is inherent in every resident by nature itself. It is no coincidence that all those used in writing scores originate from the Latin language.

It is impossible to imagine an Italian who does not know how to sing beautifully. Beautiful singing, bel canto in Latin, is a truly Italian style of performing musical works. The composer Rossini became famous throughout the world for his delightful compositions created in this very manner.

In Europe, the fashion for bel canto began at the end of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. We can say that the outstanding Italian composer Rossini was born at the most suitable time and in the most suitable place. Was he the darling of fate? Doubtful. Most likely, the reason for his success is the divine gift of talent and character traits. And besides, the process of composing music was not at all tiring for him. Melodies were born in the composer’s head with amazing ease - just have time to write them down.

The composer's childhood

The full name of the composer Rossini is Gioachino Antonio Rossini. He was born on February 29, 1792 in the city of Pesaro. The baby was incredibly adorable. “Little Adonis” was the name of the Italian composer Rossini in early childhood. Local artist Mancinelli, who was painting the walls of the Church of St. Ubaldo at that time, asked Gioacchino’s parents for permission to depict the baby in one of the frescoes. He captured him in the form of a child, to whom an angel shows the way to heaven.

His parents, although they did not have a special vocational education, were musicians. Mother, Anna Guidarini-Rossini, had a very beautiful soprano and sang in musical performances local theater, and his father, Giuseppe Antonio Rossini, played the trumpet and horn there.

The only child in the family, Gioachino was surrounded by the care and attention of not only his parents, but also numerous uncles, aunts, grandparents.

First musical works

He made his first attempts to compose music as soon as he had the opportunity to pick up musical instruments. The fourteen-year-old boy's scores look quite convincing. They clearly show the tendencies of operatic construction of musical plots - frequent rhythmic rearrangements are emphasized, in which characteristic, song-like melodies predominate.

There are six scores of sonatas for quartet in the United States. They are dated 1806.

“The Barber of Seville”: the history of the composition

Throughout the world, the composer Rossini is known primarily as the author of the buffa opera “The Barber of Seville,” but few can say what the history of its appearance was. Original title opera - “Almaviva, or Vain Precaution”. The fact is that by that time one “Barber of Seville” already existed. The first opera based on Beaumarchais' funny play was written by the venerable Giovanni Paisiello. His work was performed with great success on the stages of Italian theaters.

The Argentino Theater commissioned the young maestro for a comic opera. All librettos proposed by the composer were rejected. Rossini asked Paisiello to allow him to write his own opera based on Beaumarchais's play. He didn't mind. Rossini composed the famous “The Barber of Seville” in 13 days.

Two premieres with different results

The premiere was a resounding failure. In general, many mystical incidents are associated with this opera. In particular, the disappearance of the score with the overture. It was a medley of several funny folk songs. The composer Rossini had to quickly come up with a replacement for the lost pages. His papers preserved the notes for the opera written seven years ago and long forgotten “ Strange case" Making minor changes, he included lively and light melodies own composition to the new opera. The second performance turned out to be a triumph. It became the first step on the path to world fame for the composer, and his melodious recitatives still delight the public.

He had no more serious worries about the productions.

The composer's fame quickly reached continental Europe. Information has been preserved about what the composer Rossini was called by his friends. Heinrich Heine considered him the “Sun of Italy” and called him the “Divine Maestro”.

Austria, England and France in the life of Rossini

After the triumph in their homeland, Rossini and Isabella Colbran set off to conquer Vienna. Here he was already well known and recognized as outstanding composer modernity. Schumann applauded him, and Beethoven, completely blind by this time, expressed admiration and advised him not to abandon the path of composing opera buffes.

Paris and London greeted the composer with no less enthusiasm. Rossini stayed in France for a long time.

During his extensive tour, he composed and staged most of his operas on the best stages in the capital. The maestro was treated kindly by the kings and made acquaintances with the most influential people the world of art and politics.

Rossini would return to France at the end of his life to be treated for stomach ailments. The composer will die in Paris. This will happen on November 13, 1868.

"William Tell" - the composer's last opera

Rossini did not like to spend too much time on work. Often in new operas he used the same, long-invented motifs. Each new opera rarely took him more than a month. In total, the composer wrote 39 of them.

He devoted six months to William Tell. I wrote all the parts anew, without using old scores.

Rossini's musical depiction of the Austrian soldiers-invaders is deliberately emotionally poor, monotonous and angular. And for the Swiss people, who refused to submit to their enslavers, the composer, on the contrary, wrote diverse, melodic, rhythm-rich parts. He used folk songs Alpine and Tyrolean shepherds, adding Italian flexibility and poetry to them.

The opera premiered in August 1829. King Charles X of France was delighted and awarded Rossini the Order of the Legion of Honor. The public reacted coldly to the opera. Firstly, the action lasted for four hours, and secondly, new musical techniques, invented by the composer, turned out to be difficult to understand.

In the following days, the theater management shortened the performance. Rossini was outraged and offended to the core.

Despite the fact that this opera had a huge influence on further development opera art, as can be seen in such works heroic genre Gaetano Donizetti, Giuseppe Verdi and Vincenzo Bellini, “William Tell” is now extremely rarely staged.

Revolution in opera

Rossini took two serious steps towards modernization modern opera. He was the first to write down everything in the score vocal parts with appropriate accents and flourishes. Formerly singers improvised with their parts as they wanted.

The next innovation was the accompaniment of recitatives musical accompaniment. In opera seria, this made it possible to create cross-cutting instrumental inserts.

End of writing activity

Art critics and historians have still not come to a consensus on what forced Rossini to leave his career as a composer of musical works. He himself said that he had completely secured a comfortable old age for himself, but the vanity public life he's tired of it. If he had children, he would certainly continue to write music and stage his performances on opera stages.

Last theater work The composer's opera series was "William Tell". He was 37 years old. Later, he sometimes conducted orchestras, but never returned to composing operas.

Cooking is the maestro's favorite pastime

The second great hobby of the great Rossini was cooking. He suffered a lot because of his addiction to exquisite foods. Leaving public musical life, he did not become an ascetic. His house was always full of guests, the feasts were replete with exotic dishes that the maestro personally invented. One might think that composing operas gave him the opportunity to earn enough money so that in his declining years he could devote himself wholeheartedly to his most beloved hobby.

Two marriages

Gioachino Rossini was married twice. His first wife, Isabella Colbran, possessor of the divine dramatic soprano, performed all the solo parts in the maestro’s operas. She was seven years older than her husband. Did her husband, the composer Rossini, love her? The singer’s biography is silent about this, but as for Rossini himself, it is assumed that this union was more business than love.

His second wife, Olympia Pelissier, became his companion for the rest of his life. They led a peaceful existence and were quite happy together. Rossini wrote no more music, with the exception of two oratorio works - the Catholic mass "The Sorrowful Mother Stood" (1842) and "Little Solemn Mass" (1863).

Three Italian cities most significant for the composer

Residents three Italian cities proudly claim that the composer Rossini is their fellow countryman. The first is Gioacchino's birthplace, the city of Pesaro. The second is Bologna, where he lived the longest and wrote his main works. The third city is Florence. Here, in the Basilica of Santa Croce, the Italian composer D. Rossini was buried. His ashes were brought from Paris, and the wonderful sculptor Giuseppe Cassioli made an elegant tombstone.

Rossini in literature

Rossini's biography, Gioachino Antonio, has been described by his contemporaries and friends in several books of fiction, as well as in numerous art historical studies. He was in his thirties when the first biography of the composer, described by Frederic Stendhal, was published. It's called "The Life of Rossini".

Another friend of the composer, a literary novelist, described him in a short story “Lunch at Rossini, or Two Students from Bologna.” The lively and sociable disposition of the great Italian is captured in numerous stories and anecdotes kept by his friends and acquaintances.

Subsequently, separate books with these funny and cheerful stories were published.

Filmmakers also did not ignore the great Italian. In 1991, Mario Monicelli presented the audience with his film about Rossini with Sergio Castellito in the title role.

The Bel Canto Foundation organizes concerts in Moscow featuring the music of Gioachino Rossini. On this page you can see the poster upcoming concerts in 2019 with music by Gioachino Rossini and buy a ticket for a date convenient to you.

Rossini Gioacchino (1792 - 1868) - Italian composer, nicknamed the "Swan of Pesara". The son of a trumpeter and an opera singer. As a child, Rossini moved to Bologna, where his studies on the harpsichord began; he also practiced singing. At the age of 15, Rossini entered the Bologna Musical Lyceum, where he studied until 1810; his composition teacher was Abbot Mattei. At the same time, Rossini began conducting opera performances. Rossini's first creative experiments date back to the same time - vocal numbers for a traveling troupe and the one-act comic opera "Bill of Marriage" (1810). The young composer tried to compose several operas for Milan and Venice, but none of them were successful.
Then the composer went to Rome, where he planned to write and stage several operas. The second of these was the opera The Barber of Seville, first staged on February 20, 1816. The failure of the opera at the premiere turned out to be as loud as its triumph in the future. Rossini's next comic operas, like Donizetti's, did not introduce anything fundamentally new, despite all their individual artistic merits.
Not having time to write the overture, he used the overture from “Elizabeth” in this opera. The music of "The Barber of Seville", temperamental, sparkling with wit and fun, is rooted in the favorite genres of Italian folk dance and song. Characteristics characters(mainly in arias) are distinguished by accuracy and figurative relief.
Later, having lost interest in comic opera, Rossini in subsequent years devoted his work mainly to heroic-patriotic opera. This should be seen as a reflection of the growth of patriotic feelings and national identity during the liberation struggle of the Italian people.
Gioachino Rossini had a rare melodic talent. An endless stream of captivating melodies, sometimes soulfully lyrical, sometimes sparkling, fills the music of his operas, which Pushkin compared to young kisses, the stream and splashes of hissing ai. The orchestra in Rossini's operas is not limited to an accompanying role - it is distinguished by dramatic expressiveness and participates in the characterization of characters and stage situations.
If the composition of Rossini's operas is traditional (musical numbers alternating with recitatives), then in essence his work led to the renewal of the main directions of Italian operatic art and determined its future path.

Portrait of Rossini

Gioachino Rossini

Gioachino Antonio Rossini(Italian: Gioachino Antonio Rossini; -) - Italian composer, author of 39 operas, sacred and chamber music.

In Rossini he left Paris and settled in Italy, first in Milan, then in his villa near Bologna; he was sick and bored. The composer's first wife dies; Rossini marries Olympia Pelissier. The huge success of "Stabat" again revived him somewhat, but the unrest in 1848 again had a bad effect on him, he had to flee because of the rebels to Florence and, finally, he decided to return to Paris, where he soon recovered and lived for another 15 years, benefiting from universal respect and making your home one of the most fashionable music salons.

Rossini died of pneumonia on November 13 in the town of Passy near Paris. The composer's ashes were transported to Florence.

The conservatory in his hometown, created in accordance with his will, bears the name of Rossini.

Operas

• Marriage Bill (La Cambiale di Matrimonio) - 1810
• A Strange Case (L'equivoco stravagante) - 1811
• Demetrius and Polybius (Demetrio e Polibio) - 1812
• The Happy Deception (L'inganno felice) - 1812
• Cyrus in Babylon, or the Fall of Balthasar (Ciro in Babilonia (La caduta di Baldassare) - 1812
• The Silk Staircase (La scala di seta) - 1812
• The Stumbling Stone (La pietra del paragone) - 1812
• Chance makes a thief (L’occasione fa il ladro (Il cambio della valigia) - 1812
• Signor Bruschino (or Il figlio per azzardo) - 1813
• Tancredi - 1813
• Italian in Algeria (L’Italiana in Algeri) - 1813
• Aurelian in Palmira (Aureliano in Palmira) - 1813
• The Turk in Italy (Il Turco in Italia) - 1814
• Sigismund (Sigismondo) - 1814
• Elizabeth of England (Elisabetta regina d’Inghilterra) - 1815
• Torvaldo and Dorliska - 1815
• Almaviva, or Futile Precaution (The Barber of Seville) (Almaviva (ossia L’inutile precauzione (Il Barbiere di Siviglia)) - 1816
• Newspaper (La gazzetta (Il matrimonio per concorso) - 1816
• Othello, or the Moor of Venice (Otello o Il moro di Venezia) - 1816
• Cinderella, or the Triumph of Virtue (La Cenerentola o sia La bontà in trionfo) - 1817
• The Thieving Magpie (La gazza ladra) - 1817
• Armida - 1817
• Adelaide of Burgundy, or Otto, King of Italy (Adelaide di Borgogna or Ottone, re d’Italia) - 1817
• Moses in Egypt (Mosè in Egitto) - 1818
• Adina, or Caliph of Baghdad (Adina or Il califfo di Bagdad) - 1818
• Ricciardo and Zoraide - 1818
• Hermione (Ermione) - 1819
• Edward and Cristina (Eduardo e Cristina) - 1819
• The Maiden of the Lake (La donna del lago) - 1819
• Bianca and Faliero ( Council of Three) (Bianca e Falliero (Il consiglio dei tre) - 1819
• Maometto secondo - 1820
• Matilde di Shabran, or Bellezza e Cuor di Ferro - 1821
• Zelmira - 1822
• Semiramide - 1823
• Journey to Reims, or the Golden Lily Hotel Il viaggio a Reims (L’albergo del giglio d’oro) - 1825
• Siege of Corinth (Le Siège de Corinthe) - 1826
• Moses and Pharaoh, or the Passage through the Red Sea (Moïse et Pharaon (Le passage de la Mer Rouge) - 1827 (reworking of “Moses in Egypt”)
• Count Ory (Le Comte Ory) - 1828
• William Tell (Guillaume Tell) - 1829

wrote 39 operas

Other musical works

• Il pianto d'armonia per la morte d'Orfeo
• Petite Messe Solennelle
• Stabat Mater
• Cats Duet (attr.)
• Bassoon concerto
• Messa di Gloria

Notes

• Brief summaries (synopses) of Rossini's operas on the "100 Operas" website
• Gioachino Antonio Rossini: sheet music of works on the International Music Score Library Project

Categories:

• Personalities in alphabetical order
• Born on February 29
• Born in 1792
• Deaths on November 13
• Died in 1868
• Composers of Italy
• Opera composers
• Academic musicians of Italy
• Romantic composers
• Composers by alphabet
• Musicians in alphabetical order

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See what "Rossini, Gioacchino" is in other dictionaries:

Rossini, Gioachino- Gioachino Rossini. ROSSINI Gioachino (1792 1868), Italian composer. Having summarized the achievements of Italian opera, he outlined its romantic stage. The opera “The Barber of Seville” (1816) is the culmination of the history of the opera buffa genre... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (Rossini) (1792 1868), Italian composer. The flourishing of Italian opera is associated with the work of Rossini early XIX V. His music is distinguished by inexhaustible melodic richness, precision, and witty characteristics. Enriched with realistic content... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

- (Rossini, Gioacchino) GIOACCHINO ROSSINI (1792 1868), Italian opera composer, author of the immortal Barber of Seville. Born on February 29, 1792 in Pesaro in the family of a city trumpeter (herald) and a singer. I fell in love with music very early, in... Collier's Encyclopedia

Rossini, Gioachino- See also (1792 1868). Italian composer. Delightful Rossini, Europe's darling Orpheus. Not heeding harsh criticism, he is forever the same, forever new, he pours sounds, they boil, they flow, they burn like young kisses, all in bliss, in the flame of love... Dictionary of literary types

Rossini Gioacchino- (1792 1868) Italian composer, with whose work the flourishing of Italian opera is associated. Creator of the operas The Barber of Seville, Tancred, An Italian in Algiers, Othello, Cinderella, The Thief Magpie, William Tell and others... Dictionary of literary types

ROSSINI (Rossini) Gioachino Antonio (1792 1868), Italian. opera composer. According to A.M. Vereshchagina, L. “at the top of his lungs and until he lost his breath” sang a duet from R.’s opera “Semiramide” (1823) (letter dated August 18, 1835; VI, 468). L. mentions the name of the composer... Lermontov Encyclopedia