Rossini and his
Petite Messe Solennelle
Gioachino Rossini was born at Pesaro on 29 February 1792, the son of a
horn-player. He enjoyed the fact it was a leap-year and counted his birthday only once
every four years. Thus, when he was seventy-two, he invited his friends round to celebrate
his 18th birthday.
His first opera was launched when he was eighteen by our normal counting, and he had
written five operas before he was twenty. When twenty-one, his Tancredi was
produced at Venice, an instant success, and shortly afterwards L'Italiana in Algeri.
Then, in 1816, now age 24, he triumphed with Il Barbiere di Seviglia. The
Italians hailed him as their greatest living opera composer.
He was only thirty-seven when he wrote William Tell, now living in France. He
spoke of himself as having "a passion for idleness" and after this succession of achievements he grew lazy.
But he suffered years of various physical and mental illnesses. Between 1829 and 1868
Rossini wrote no further operas. Later in life he again returned to Paris, where he lived
till his death in 1868. |
Gioachino Rossini
1792 - 1868
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