Rossini, Gioacchino (1792-1868)

Rossini, Gioacchino

COMPOSER (ITALY)

BORN 29 Feb 1792, Pesaro, Marche - DIED 13 Nov 1868, Paris: 2 avenue Ingres, Passy
BIRTH NAME Rossini, Gioacchino Antonio
GRAVE LOCATION Firenze, Toscana: Santa Croce, Piazza Santa Croce

Gioacchino Rossini was born in Pesaro. His father Giuseppe Rossini was a local trumpet and horn player his mother Anna Guidarini was a singer. He started composing when was twelve years old. His musical education took place in Bologna where Giuseppe Prinetti was his teacher. In Lugo he studied undder Giuseppe Malerbi from 1802 to 1805 and back in Bologna Angelo Tesei was his teacher. He studied at the musical Liceo from 1806 to 1810 and there he was taught counterpoint by Padre Mattei.

His opera "La cambiale di matrimoni" was performed in 1810 in Venice. Until 1823 he wrote many further operas that were performed in Venice, Milan, Naples, and other cities. In May 1814 he moved to Naples where he was engaged as director of music for the royal theatres. The Spanish singer Isabella Colbran was the star in his opera "Elisabetta regina d'Inghilterra" (1815). In 1816 "Il barbiere di Siviglia" was staged and in 1817 "La Cenerentola" followed. Until 1822 he composed many more operas for Naples and several operas for other cities.

When Barbaia took the opera company of Naples to Vienna, Rossini joined him. He was warmly received in Austria and Clemens Metternich liked his work. After hearing "Eroica" he was determined to meet Beethoven. When he managed to do so in April 1822, Beethoven was friendly to him, but he envied Rossini's success. In March of 1822 he had married the singer Isabella Colbran. They went to London in November 1823. He was received by George IV, but Colbran's voice failed, and she was forced to retire from singing. He negotiated an attractive contract with the French government under king Louis XVIII, who died soon after Rossini's arrival in Paris in 1824. In 1827 his mother died and by that time his marriage to the retired Colbran was failing.

In 1829 his grand opera "Guillaume Tell" was successfully staged in Paris. After that Rossini and his wife stayed in Castenaso, but he left her to return to Paris after the Revolution in July of 1830 that resulted in the end of his life annuity that he had negotiated previously. He also wanted to be with his new mistress Olympe Pélissier and he never lived together with Isabella afterwards.

In 1835 he managed to have his annuity restored and he left Paris to settle in Bologna. He hardly composed between 1830 and 1855. He formally separated from Isabella and in 1843 he was back in Paris to receive medical treatment by Jean Civiale. The hopes that he would create another grand opera did not materialize. Isabella died in 1845 and he married Olympe Pélissier in 1846. In the early 1850s his health worsened, and he permanently moved back to Paris for the best medical care. After his return to Paris his physical and mental health quickly improved. He resumed composing, for the weekly salons that he organised with his wife.

In 1864 his "Petite messe solennelle" was performed. Napoleon III awarded him the Légion d'honneur in the same year. After an unsuccesful operation for colorectal cancer he died at Passy in 1868. He was buried at Père Lachaise in Paris. In 1887 his remains were transferred to the Santa Croce in Florence.

Family
• Wife: Colbran, Isabella (1822-1837) (divorce or separation)
• Wife: Pélissier, Olympe (1846-1868)

Related persons
• had as patron Aguado, Alexandre Jean, Marquis de Las Marismas
• cooperated with Alboni, Marietta
• helped Balfe, Michael
• knew Batton, Desiré-Alexandre
• met Beethoven, Ludwig van
• was a friend of Cherubini, Luigi
• is son-in-law/daughter-in-law of Colbran, Giovanni
• was painted by Hayez, Francesco
• was a friend of Liszt, Franz
• knew Marchesi, Mathilde
• was photographed by Nadar
• was a friend of Paganini, Niccolò
• was written about by Stendhal

Events

3/11/1810	Premiere of Rossini's opera "La cambiale di matrimonio" at the Teatro San Moisè in Venice. It was his first professional opera and he had composed it in a few days. It was performed thirteen times at the Teatro San Moisè. The librett was written by Gaetano Rossi. Performers included Luigi Raffanelli and Rosa Morandi.
26/10/1811	Premiere of Rossini's opera "L'equivoco stravagante" at the Teatro del Corso in Bologna. The libretto was written by Gaetano Gasbarri. Marietta Marcolini performed the role of Ernestina.
8/1/1812	Premiere of Rossini's opera "L'inganno felice" at the Teatro San Moisè in Venice. The libretto of the opera in one act was written by Giuseppe Maria Foppa. Performers included Teresa Belloc-Giorgi and Filippo Galli.
14/3/1812	Premiere of Rossini's opera "Ciro in Babilonia" at the Teatro Comunale in Ferrara. The libretto was written by Franciesco Aventi. Performers were Eliodoro Bianchi, Marietta Marcolini and Elisabetta Manfredini-Guarmani.
9/5/1812	Premiere of Rossini's "La scala di seta" at the Teatro San Moisè in Venice. The libretto was written by Giuseppe Maria Foppa.
18/5/1812	Rossini's opera "Demetrio e Polibio" is performed at the Teatro Valle in Rome. Rossini had written it for the Mombelli family, who had become his friends when he was a student in Bologna. It was probably commisioned by Domenico Mombelli and it was first performed in private in 1809. In November 1810 it was performed at the small Teatro San Moisè in Venice. The libretto was written by Vincenzina Viganò-Mombelli. Singers were Lodovico Olivieri, Ester Mombelli, Anna Mombelli en Domenico Mombelli.
26/9/1812	Premiere of Rossini's "La pietra del paragone" at La Scala in Milan. It was an opera in two acts. The libretto was written by Luigi Romanelli. Alessandro Rolla was the conductor. Performers included Filippo Galli, Marietta Marcolini and Claudio Bonoldi. Viceroy Eugène de Beauharnais was so impressed that he exempted Rossini from military service. [Beauharnais, Eugène Rose de, Duke of Leuchtenberg]
27/1/1813	Premiere of Rossinis "Il signor Bruschino" at the Tratro san Moisè in Venice. The libretto was written by Giuseppe Maria Foppa. It was based on the play "Le fils par hasard, ou ruse et folie" (1809) by René de Chazet and Maurice Ourry. Performers included Nicola De Grecis and Teodolina Pontiggia.
6/2/1813	Premiere of Rossini's pera "Tancredi" at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice. It was an opera in two acts with a libretto by Gaetano Rossi, based on Voltaire's play "Tancrède" (1760). Performers included Adelaide Melanotte-Montresor and Elisabetta Manfredini-Guarmani. [Voltaire]
22/5/1813	Premiere of Rossini's "L'italiana in Algeri" at the Teatro San Benedetto in Venice. Rossini wrote this comedy in a very short time. The libretto was written Angelo Anelli and Alessandro Rolla was the conductor. Perfomers included Marietta Marcolini, Serafino Gentili, Paolo Rosisch and Filippo Galli.
26/12/1813	Premiere of Rossini's opera "Aureliano in Palmira" at La Scala in Milan. The libretto was written by Giuseppe Felice Romani or by the Gian Francesco Romanelli, who is otherwise unknown. Alessandro Rolla was the conductor and the performers included Lorenza Correa. [Romani, Felice]
14/8/1814	Premiere of Rossino's "Il turco in Italia" at La Scala in Milan. It was an opera buffa in two actes. The libretto was written by Felice Romano, based on an earlier libretto by Caterino Mazzolà that was used for an opera by Franz Seydelmann in 1788. Alessandro Rolla was the conductor and perfomers included Luigi Pacini, Francesca Maffei Festa, Filippo Galli and Giovanni David. [Romani, Felice]
26/12/1814	Premiere of Rossini's opera "Sigismondo" at La Fenice in Venice. The libretto was written by Giuseppe Maria Foppa. Performers included Marietta Marcolini, Claudio Bonoldi, Elisabetta Manfredini-Guarmani and Marianna Rossi.
4/10/1815	Premiere of Rossini's "Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra" at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples. It was an opera in two acts with a libretto by Giovanni Schmidt. Nicola Festa was the conductor. Performers included Isabella Colbran, Andrea Nozzari, Maria Manzi and Manuel Garcia. [Colbran, Isabella][Garcia, Manuel]
20/2/1816	Premier of Rossini's "Il barbiere di Siviglia" at the Teatro Argentina in Rome. It was conducted by Rossini himself. Manuel Garcia was Count Almaviva. Other performers were Bartolomeo Botticelli, Geltrude Righetti-Giorgi and Luigi Zamboni. [Garcia, Manuel]
11/3/1816	Violin contest between Paganini and Lafont at La Scala in Milan. Lafont had challenged Paganini after he came to Milan through Rossini. Paganini, who had lived there since 1814, was unhappy to hold a contest but finally accepted the challenge. Lafont wanted to expose Paganini as a charlatan but he failed to do so. Neither of them was declared the winner and Lafont left Milan for Paris soon afterwards. [Lafont, Charles][Paganini, Niccolò]
4/12/1816	Premiere of Rossini's opera "Otello" at the Teatro del Fondo in Naples. The librett owas written by Francesco Maria Berio di Salsa. Performers included Andrea Nozzari, Isabelle Colbran, Giovanni David, Maria Manzi and Michele Benedetti. [Colbran, Isabella]
28/1/1817	Premiere of Rossini's "La Cenerentola" at the Teatro Valle in Rome. The libretto for the comic opera was written by Jacobo Ferretti, after the tale by Charles Perrault and inspired by the text that Charles-Guillaume Étienne wrote for a lyrical adaption by Nicolas Isouard in 1810. The opera was written for the carnival season and was written in a hurry. Performers included Andrea Verni, Geldtrude Righetti-Giogi, Teresa Mariani, Caterina Rossi and Giuseppe de Begnis. The premiere did not go well but after a few performances things went better. In 1822 the opera was staged at the Théâtre Italien in Paris.
11/11/1817	Premiere of Rossini's "Armide" at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples. His future wife Isabella Colbran performed the title part. Other performers were Andrea Nozzari Claudio Bonoldi, Giuseppe Ciccimara and Michele Benedetti. [Colbran, Isabella]
27/12/1817	Premiere of Rossini's "Adelaide di Borgogna" at the Teatro Argentina in Rome. It was an opera in two acts. The libretto was written by Giovanni Schmidt. Performers included Elisabetta Manfredini-Guarmani (as Adelaide), Elisabetta Pinotti and Savino Monelli.
24/2/1821	Premiere of Rossini's "Matilde di Shabran" at the Teatro Apollo in Rome. the librett owas written by Jacopo Ferretti. Caterina Lipparini was one of the performers.
16/2/1822	Premiere of Rossini's "Zelmira" at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples. The libretto was written by Andrea Leone Tottola. It was inspired by Dormont de Belloy's "Zelmire" (1762). Nicola Festa was the director. The performers invluded Antonio Ambrosi, Isabella Colbran, Anna Maria Cecconi, Giovanni David, Andrea Nozzari and Michele Benedetti. [Colbran, Isabella]
3/2/1823	Premiere of Rossini's "Semiramida" at the Teatro La Fanice in Venice. The libretto was written by Gaetano Rossi and inspired on Voltaire's "Sémiramis". Antonio Cammerra was the conductor. The singers included Isabella Colbran, Rosa Mariani and Filippo Galli. [Colbran, Isabella][Voltaire]
19/6/1825	Premiere of Rossini's "Il viaggio a Reims" at the Théâtre-Italien in Paris. It was an opera buffa in one act. The libretto was written by Luigi Balocchi and it was inspired by Madame de Staël's novel "Corinne". Rossini conducted himself. Giuditta Pasta was Corinne. Other performers were Ester Mombelli, Laure Cinti-Damoreau, Adelaide Schiasetti, Marco Bordogni, Domenico Donzelli and Felice Pellegrini. [Cinti-Damoreau, Laure]
9/10/1826	Premiere of Rossini's "Le Siège de Corinth" Opéra in Paris. It was an opera in three acts with a libretto by Luigi Balocchi and Alexandre Soumet. François Habeneck was the conductor. Performers were Louis Nourrit, Laure Cinti-Damoreau, Adolphe Nourrit, Henri-Étienne Dérivis and Gerdinand Prévost. [Cinti-Damoreau, Laure][Nourrit, Adolphe]
26/3/1827	Premiere of Rossini's "Moïse et Pharaon, ou Le Passage de la mer Rouge" at the opera in Paris. The libretto was written by Luigi Balocchi and Etienne de Jouy. Nicolas Levasseur was Moses. Adolphe Nourrit was Amenophis and Laure cinti Damoreau was Anaïde. [Cinti-Damoreau, Laure][Levasseur, Nicolas-Prosper][Nourrit, Adolphe]
20/8/1828	Premiere of Rossini's "Le Comte Ory" at the Salle Pelletier in Paris. It was his penultimate opera.The libretto was written by Eugène Scribe and Delestre-Poirson. François Habeneck was the conductor. The performers included Adolphe Nourritt, Nicolas Levasseur, Henri-Bernard Dabadie, Laure Cinti-Damoreau and Eugène Massol. [Cinti-Damoreau, Laure][Levasseur, Nicolas-Prosper][Massol, Eugène][Nourrit, Adolphe][Scribe, Eugène]
3/8/1829	Premiere of Rossini's "Guillaume Tell" at the Salle Le Peletier in Paris. It was Rossini's last opera. The libretto was written by Étienne de Jouy and Hippolyte Bis based on the play by Friedrich Schiller. François Habenack was the conductor. Perfomers included Henri Bernard Dabadie, Laure Cinti-Damoreau, Adolphe Nourrit and Nicolas Levasseur. [Cinti-Damoreau, Laure][Levasseur, Nicolas-Prosper][Nourrit, Adolphe][Schiller, Friedrich von]
9/5/1839	Pauline Viardot appears in Rossini's "Othello" at Her Majesty's Theatre in London. It was her operatic debut and she performed the part of Desdemona. Fourteen years earlier her sister Maria had also debuted at the theatre. [Viardot-Garcia, Pauline]
0/3/1860	Richard Wagner is received by Gioacchino Rossini in Paris. It was early in March. [Wagner, Richard]
24/2/1869	Premiere of Rossini's "Petite messe solennelle" at the Salle Ventadour in Paris. It was possibly written at the request of Count Alex Pillet-Will and it was dedicated to his wife Louise. It was performed in private at their home in Paris on 14 March 1864. The first public performance took place on 24 February 1869, three months after Rossini's death.
25/2/1887	100th performance of Rossini's "Le Barber de Séville" at the Opéra-Comique in Paris. Céçile Mézeray sang the part of Rosine, Louis Delaquerrière was Almaviva and Gabriel Soulacroix was Figaro.
3/5/1887	Rossini is reburied in the Santa Croce, Florence. He had died in 1868 and he had previously been buried in Section 4 of Père Lachaise in Paris.

Images
The tomb of Rossini at the Santa Croce, Florence. Picture by Androom (07 Feb 2011)	The mausoleum of Gioacchino Rossini at Père Lachaise in Paris. His remains were transferred to Florence in 1887. Picture by Androom (07 Nov 2024)

Published: 17 Oct 2024 Last update: 23 Mar 2025