Gioachino Rossini
29 February 1792 — 13 November 1868
Gioachino Antonio Rossini (Giovacchino Antonio Rossini in the baptismal certificate (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer who wrote 39 operas as well as sacred music, chamber music, songs, and some instrumental and piano pieces. His best-known operas include the Italian comedies Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville) and La Cenerentola and the French-language epics Moïse et Pharaon and Guillaume Tell (William Tell). A tendency for inspired, song-like melodies is evident throughout his scores, which led to the nickname "The Italian Mozart". Until his retirement in 1829, Rossini had been the most popular opera composer in history.
Operas
| Opera | Premiere or date of written | Libretti available |
|---|---|---|
| Il turco in Italia | 1814, August 14 | italian, german, english, french |
| Il barbiere di Siviglia | 1816, February 20 | italian, german, english, french |
| Armida | 1817, November 11 | italian, english |
| Guillaume Tell | 1829, August 3 | french, english, italian |
History
| November 3, 1810 | Gioachino Rossini's one-act comic opera "La cambiale di matrimonio" received its first performance at the Teatro San Moisè in Venice, marking the first of Rossini's operas to reach the stage. |
| October 26, 1811 | Gioachino Rossini's two-act comic opera "L'equivoco stravagante", with a libretto by Gaetano Gasbarri, received its world premiere at the Teatro del Corso in Bologna. It was Rossini's first large-scale opera. |
| February 6, 1813 | World premiere (first performance) of Gioachino Rossini’s opera "Tancredi" at Teatro La Fenice (Venice). |
| October 4, 1815 | Gioachino Rossini's "Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra" received its world premiere at the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, with Isabella Colbran in the title role. |
| January 25, 1817 | Gioachino Rossini’s opera "La Cenerentola" ("La bontà in trionfo") premiered at the Teatro Valle in Rome. |
| October 13, 1818 | Gioachino Rossini’s "Il barbiere di Siviglia" received its Covent Garden premiere, presented by the Henry Harris and John Philip Kemble Company. |
| July 1, 1819 | Rossini's "L'inganno felice" received its first UK performance at the King's Theatre, Haymarket, London. |
| October 24, 1819 | Gioachino Rossini’s "La donna del lago", with a libretto by Andrea Leone Tottola after Walter Scott, received its world premiere at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples. |
| February 3, 1823 | World premiere (first performance) of Gioachino Rossini’s opera "Semiramide" at Teatro La Fenice (Venice). |
| June 5, 1823 | Rossini’s "Ricciardo e Zoraide" was first performed at the King’s Theatre Opera House in London. |
| November 8, 1823 | La Scala premiere of Rossini's "Tancredi" (Milan production). |
| October 9, 1826 | Gioachino Rossini's "Le siège de Corinthe", a major French reworking of "Maometto II", received its world premiere at the Théâtre de l'Académie Royale de Musique in Paris. |
| March 26, 1827 | "Moïse et Pharaon" (Rossini) premiered at the Salle Le Peletier (Paris Opéra). |
| May 8, 1829 | The premiere of Gioachino Rossini's opera "Le comte Ory" took place at the Paris Opéra. |
| August 3, 1829 | Gioachino Rossini's final opera, "Guillaume Tell", received its world premiere at the Paris Opéra. |
| August 16, 1846 | Composer Gioachino Rossini married his second wife, the artist's model Olympe Pélissier. |
| April 7, 1847 | Covent Garden reopened as the Royal Italian Opera with a performance of Rossini’s "Semiramide". |
| October 23, 2008 | The Royal Opera at Covent Garden presented its company premiere of Gioachino Rossini's comic opera "Matilde di Shabran", also known as "Bellezza e cuor di ferro". Although the opera had previously been performed at the Royal Opera House in 1854, this marked its first presentation by the modern Royal Opera company. |
| April 15, 2025 | Performance of Rossini's 'Il Barbiere di Siviglia' at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. |
| May 4, 2025 | Casa Italiana in Los Angeles presents Puccini's 'La Bohème' with full orchestra and staging. |
| May 4, 2025 | Minnesota Opera performs Rossini's 'The Barber of Seville' at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul. |
| May 4, 2025 | Performance of Rossini's 'Il barbiere di Siviglia' at Opéra Nice Côte d'Azur in Nice, France. |
