His name can still be found on menus in gourmet restaurants around the world. Tournedos Rossini is an eye fillet topped with a slice of foie gras, garnished with truffle and finished with a Madeira or port wine sauce.
At age 23, Rossini composed his famous comic opera The Barber of Seville in less than three weeks. He claims 12 days. He was an opera-writing machine. Between and , Rossini wrote 30 operas, the majority of his lifetime output.
It is in the top five most performed operas in the current season with performances worldwide. His first wife was singer Isabella Colbran and Rossini wrote many parts for her in his operas, including the title role in Semiramide.
He also once linked coffee and operas noting that the effect of caffeine on the body diminished quickly. Learn more about coffee and classical music. His operas are among the most performed in the world. Rossini is right up there along with Verdi, Mozart, and Puccini in terms of how often their operas are performed. Interestingly, although William Tell was one of the grandest operas of its time, it is rarely performed today outside of the Overture.
Compare that to of La Traviata and of Carmen. Although he was said to be rather jovial, he actually suffered from neurasthenia and depression.
Neither condition was recognized at the time. Specifically after his semi-retirement at the age of 37 semi because he retired from opera, but continued to write smaller pieces , he would experience long periods of deep depression and insomnia. He also became obese and began to have suicidal thoughts. It is said that the death of his mother also led him to resent the remaining living woman in his life — his second wife Olympe. After he returned to Paris in , it is said his musical spirits were once again lifted.
After his death, his wealth was used to set up a home for retired opera singers. When Rossini passed away in , his second wife, Olympe, inherited a large sum, which, when she passed, was used to establish a conservatory of music in Pesaro, Italy his birthplace and a home for retired opera singers in Paris. He was a man of great wit who loved to entertain. In he moved to Naples, the historic home of Italian opera.
He continued to write works for other cities, including Il barbiere di Siviglia and La Cenerentola for Rome and La gazza ladra for Milan. By he had reached international acclaim, and settled in Paris in In his opera seria he introduced innovations that transformed Italian opera, and would influence generations of French and Italian composers.
Our favourites of the undisputed kings of opera, from Idomeneo to Peter Grimes via Siegfried and Otello. Lovesick teens, feisty young heroes, or supernatural beings — there's an important place for women playing men then dressing up as women again?
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