Gioacchino Antonio Rossini is an Italian composer and conductor. He was called the king of classical music. He received recognition during his lifetime.
His life was filled with happy and tragic moments. Each experienced emotion inspired the maestro to write musical works. Rossini's creations have become iconic for many generations of classicism.
Childhood and youth
The maestro was born on February 29, 1792 on the territory of a provincial Italian town. The head of the family worked as a musician, and his mother worked as a seamstress.
It is not difficult to guess that Rossini inherited his love for music from his father. He gave him perfect hearing, and the ability to pass music through the heart. The rest of his talents, the boy took over from his mother.
The head of the family was distinguished not only by his good musical taste. He was never afraid to express his own opinion. More than once a man expressed his opinion against the current government, for which he had to sit behind bars.
Rossini's mother, Anna, discovered her singing talent six years after the birth of her son. The woman began working as an opera singer. For 10 years, Anna gave concerts in the best theaters in Europe, until her voice began to break.
In 1802 the family moved to the commune of Lugo. Here, little Rossini received his basic education. The local priest introduced the young man to the works of famous composers. During this period of time, he first heard the skillful compositions of Mozart and Haydn.
By his teenage years, he had composed several sonatas. Alas, the works were presented to the public only after patrons were found who provided financial support to Rossini. Already in 1806, the young man entered the Liceo Musicale. In an educational institution, he honed his vocal skills, learned to play several musical instruments, and mastered the basics of composition.
During his student days, he worked in the theater. His baritone tenor captivated demanding audiences. Rossini's concerts were held in a full hall. During the same period of time, he wrote a brilliant score for the drama "Demetrius and Polybius". Note that this is the maestro's first opera.
The head of the family and mother of Rossini, as creative people, understood that opera was flourishing in the world. The center of this genre at that time was Venice. Without thinking twice, the family decided to send their son under the care of Morandi, who lived in Italy.
The creative path and music of maestro Gioacchino Antonio Rossini
"Demetrius and Polybius" was the first work of the maestro at the time of writing. “Promissory Note for Marriage” is the debut work, which was the first staged at the theater. For the production, he received a rather impressive amount for that time. The success motivated Rossini to write three more works.
The composer composed not only for Italy. A presentation of his vision of Haydn's Four Seasons took place in Bologna. Rossini's work was received quite warmly, but there was a problem with the "Strange Case". The work was coldly received by the public and suffered negative reviews from music critics. Note that both plays were staged at the theaters of Ferrari and Rome.
In 1812, the opera "Chance Makes a Thief, or Mixed Suitcases" was staged. Surprisingly, the work has been staged over 50 times. Rossini's popularity was overwhelming. The fact that he was among the most successful composers freed him from military service.
This was followed by the presentation of the opera "Tancred". It was delivered not only in Italy. Its premiere was a great success in London and New York. It will only take a couple of weeks for the maestro to present The Italian Woman in Algeria, which also premiered with resounding success.
A new stage in the life of the maestro
With the onset of 1815, another interesting page in the composer's creative biography opened up. In the spring he moved to the territory of Naples. He headed the royal theaters and the best opera houses in the country.
At that time, Naples was called the opera capital of Europe. The Italian genre, which Rossini brought with him, did not immediately fall in love with the public. Many of the composer's works were accepted with some aggression. But everything changed after the writing of the opera "Elizabeth, Queen of England." It is interesting that the creation was created on the foundation of excerpts from other maestro operas that are already popular with listeners, that is, the best music. Rossini's success was colossal.
In the new place, he wrote calmly. He didn't need to hurry. From this, the works of this time became more ingenious - they were saturated with bewitching calmness and harmony. He led orchestras, so he could use the services of musicians. During his 7 years in Naples, he composed more than 15 operas.
The Peak of Gioacchino Antonio Rossini's Popularity
In Rome, the maestro composes one of the most brilliant works of his repertoire. Today, the Barber of Seville is considered Rossini's calling card. He had to change the title of the opera to "Almaviva, or Vain Precaution" because the work with the title "The Barber of Seville" was already taken. This work brought Rossini worldwide popularity. During this period of time, he wrote a number of other, no less brilliant works.
The rise was marred by failure. In 1819, the maestro presents the work of Hermione to the public. The work was coldly received by the public. The cold reception hinted to Rossini that the public from Naples was tired of his works. He took advantage of the chance and moved to Vienna.
When the Minister of Foreign Affairs learned that Rossini himself had come to the country, he gave the maestro all the national theaters to use. The fact is that the official considered the works of the composer to be far from politics, therefore he did not see any potential threat in him.
It was on one of the venues in Vienna that he heard the wonderful "Symphony No. 3", which belonged to the authorship of Beethoven. Rossini dreamed of meeting the famous composer. For a long time he did not dare to take the first step for communication. He did not speak languages, besides, Beethoven's deafness also served as an obstacle to communication. But, when they had a chance to talk, Ludwig advised Rossini to take a guide to entertaining music, leaving opera behind.
Soon, the premiere of the opera "Semiramide" took place in Venice. After that, the maestro moved to London. Then he visited Paris. In the capital of France, he created three more operas.
New works
One more high-profile work of the composer cannot be ignored. In 1829, the premiere of the opera "William Tell" took place, which the maestro wrote based on the play by Schiller. The overture belongs to one of the most popular orchestral parts in the world. She even sounded in the animated series "Mickey Mouse".
On the territory of Paris, the maestro had to write several more works. His plans included writing a musical accompaniment for Faust. But the only significant works written during this period of time were: Stabat Mater, as well as a collection of songs for the Musical Evenings salons.
One of the most significant works of the last years of his life was "A Little Solemn Mass", written in 1863. The presented work gained popularity only after the death of the maestro.
Details of the personal life of Gioacchino Antonio Rossini
The maestro did not like to disseminate information regarding his personal life. But, all the same, his numerous novels with opera singers could not be hidden from the public. The most significant woman in the life of the brilliant maestro was Isabella Colbran.
For the first time he heard the marvelous singing of a woman in 1807 on the stage of Bologna. When he moved to the territory of Naples, he wrote compositions only for his wife. Isabella was the main character in almost all of his operas. In March 1822, he took a woman as his official wife. It was a mature union. It was Rossini who insisted on the decision to legalize the relationship.
In 1830, Isabella and Rossini saw each other for the last time. The maestro moved to Paris, and a certain Olympia Pelissier became his new hobby. She worked as a courtesan.
For the sake of Rossini, she changed her occupation and became an ideal concubine. She courted the maestro and obeyed him. In 1846, he proposed to the girl a marriage proposal. They got married and lived in the barque for over 20 years. By the way, he did not leave Rossini's heirs behind.
Interesting facts about the composer
- When Rossini saw the conditions in which his idol lives, he was extremely surprised. Beethoven was surrounded by poverty, while Rossini himself lived quite prosperously.
- After 40 years, his health deteriorated greatly. He suffered from depression and insomnia. His mood changed frequently. At night, he could afford to slack off - he would sob if the day was not as productive as planned.
- He often assigned rather strange names to his works. What are the creations of "Four Appetizers and Four Desserts" and "Convulsive Prelude" worth.
The last years of the life of the maestro
After the death of Mother Rossini, his health deteriorated sharply. He developed gonorrhea, which led to a number of complications. He suffered from urethritis, arthritis and depression. In addition, the maestro suffered from obesity. It was said that he was a big gourmet, and could not resist delicious food.
He died on November 13, 1868. The cause of death was the listed diseases, as well as an unsuccessful surgical intervention, which was performed to remove the tumor from the rectum.
