The Life of Rossini

seventy years from the date of his last work to the first incident in his musical career. When, in 1799, Paer's "Camilla," written

e touching than the voice and action of this extraordinary child in the beautiful canon of the third act, 'Senti in si fiero istante.' The Bolog

of a composer whose fame he was destined before long to eclipse. The child came of musical parentage, for his father held the office of trumpeter to the town of Pesar

Giovanni, head of the family of Russini (or Rossini),[2] who "flourished" about the middle of the sixteenth century. Giovanni had two sons-Giovanno Francesco, direct ancestor of the composer, and Fabrizio, who was Governor of Ravenna, and died at Lugo in 1570. Next in the li

rt of the escutcheon, and a hand holding a rose, surmounted by a nightingale in the lower part. Giov

he French which was afterwards manifested for that gallant and polite nation by his illustrious son. When the French army entered Pesaro in 1796, after the Italian campaign, the enthusi

musical gatherings, and singing small parts on the stage, while he played the horn in the orchestra, obtained a re

r musical excursions, and took the second horn in the orchestras where the part of first horn wa

he churches. At the end of two years he could execute the most difficult music at first sight, and was able to act as musical director to a travelling company, which gave performances at Lugo, Ferrari, Forli, Sinigaglia, and other little towns in the Romagn

of this, Rossini's first work, written when he was sixte

capacity he superintended the production of Haydn's "Seasons." He had previously got up a performance of the "Creation" in the Lyceum i

culiarities: he never went to bed, and he taught his pupils to play the scales with two fingers, the first finger and the thumb. Pianoforte music "

Rossini had officiated as musical conductor, was also director of the San Mosè[3] theatre at Venice, and invited the young composer to write an opera for the latter establishment. This, the

by the cantata of "Didone Abbandonata," which Rossini composed f

it was probably written, less in what we now consider his own particular style, than in that of his immediate predecessors. The concerted pieces, however, were much remarked, as was also a final rondo for the prima donna, Madame Marcolini. The rondo is especiall

ion, was thought worthy of revival. It was played at Paris in 1819, and some years later at Vienna, where the illust

he prima donna of the "Equivoco Stravagante," played a principal part in this work, which, as a whole, was not very successful. Rossini saved from the remains of "Ciro," a chorus which he introduced into "Aureliano in Palmira

a. The poor woman, as Rossini himself told Ferdinand Hiller, had only one good note in her voice, and he a

el Paragone," for Milan, and two one act operettas, "La Scala di Seta"

ds celebrated basso, and Madame Marcolini, who, as in the "Equivoco Stra

rtain young lady, the heroine of the piece, are attracted to him by his wealth or really esteem and love him for his own sake. To decide the question he causes a bill for an immense sum drawn in favour of a Turk (the Turk was a great

nifest in an unmistakeable manner the love she really feels for Count Asdrubal, she has now to force the count to make a declaration to her. For this purpose she finds it necessary to appear bef

ale to the first act, known as "La Sigillara," in which the sham Turk

non so che," the drinking chorus, and the baron's burlesque proclamation, all belonged originally to "La Pietra del Paragone." Indeed the air now known as "Miei rampol

ther Rossini, undertaking the journey under quite different circumstances, would have derived from it the same advantages. Fortunately Prince Eugene, the Viceroy of Italy-not the only one of Napoleon's generals who, like Napoleon himself, had a cultivated taste for music-could appreciate the merit of "La Pietra del Paragone;" and

e said, except that the music of the second, "L'occasione fa il ladro," was presented a

om "La Pietra del Paragone" and "Aureliano in Palmira," and arranged the whole in a new dramatic form. "Un Curi

made up of pieces extracted from the works of his youth, and put together without his sanction, should be annou

ber 11

theatre announce a new Opera by me un

ns of this kind in regard to my works (not one of which, by the way, is named 'Un Curioso Accidente'). In any case I have not objected to and I do not object to the representation of th

her with my name as author, and to substitute instead the following:-

of to-morrow, in default of which I shall be obliged t

sincere c

ig

hino R

ain. At the one representation which took place a charming trio in the buffo style, for men's voices, taken from the

ossini during the year 1812, "Demetrio e Polibio" may be mentioned as belon

ring of 1809, when he was just seventeen years of age, but is said to

e, has the credit of having suggested to Rossini, from among his copious reminiscences, some notions for melodies. The daughters, Marianna and Esther, playe

furnished him with this interesting account of the Mombellis, which tallies closely enough with

he prima donna. In 'Demetrio e Polibio' the old Mombelli, who was once a celebrated tenor, takes the part of the King. That of the chief of the conspirators will be filled by a person called Olivieri, who has long been attached to Madame Mombelli, the mother, and who, to be u

ufficiently promising. The latter was the year of "L'Inganno Felice" and "La P

circumstances, a very amusing trifle, called "Il Figlio per Azzardo." This operetta, or farza, was

, for which the young composer determined to have his revenge. He had moreover deliberately, and of malice prepense, given Rossini a libretto so monstrously absurd that to

, whose appearance was always a signal for laughter, had to deliver a fine-drawn sentimental melody. Another artist who could not sing at all had a very difficult air assigned to him, which, that none of his faults might pass unperceived, was accompanied pianissimo by a pizz

at the beginning of each bar, had to strike the tin shades of the candles in front of them; when the sound extracted from these new "instruments of percussion," in

ould have afforded to make; but Rossini had to choose betw