366Art | Rossini

Today is leap day, the birthday of Rossini, a phenomenal composer and bon vivant. The portrait above and his portrait, the 366th on my musical reference book / birthday calendar  below, are made by me, Frieke.

Gioachino Antonio Rossini was born on February 29th in the leap year 1792 in Pesaro, Italy. He showed musical talent at a young age. His father was a horn player and trumpeter, his mother an opera singer. At the age of fourteen, he was already a repetiteur, accompanist, and singer for opera groups. In 1806, he began studying at the Liceo Musicale in Bologna under Padre Stanislao Mattei. La Cambiale di Matriomonio (1810) was Rossini's very first opera. In this piece, Rossini's talent for composing long but compositionally well-structured acts and his inventiveness for lively melodies can already be heard. From this period onwards, he composed continuously and with exceptional ease, producing one opera after another in particularly short periods. In 1813, he achieved great success with Tancredi and L'italiana in Algieri. In 1815, while attached to the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, he also composed comedic works such as Il barbiere di Siviglia, La Cenerentola and La gazza ladra.

In 1822, Rossini married the soprano Isabella Colbran. Together they traveled to Vienna, where he conducted his own works, garnering great success. In 1823, Rossini moved to London and eventually settled in Paris. In 1824, he took over the management of the Théâtre Italien there. His last major theatrical piece, Guillaume Tell, was written in 1829. After this, at the age of 37, Rossini decided to bid farewell to this active life. Until his death, he composed another significant work, the Stabat Mater . The rest of his time, he spend in financial speculation, frequented fashionable salons visits , and indulged in cooking. He loved good food and was one of the greatest master chefs in history. Many dishes are named after Rossini, such as Tournedos Rossini and Risotto à la Rossini. The aria Di tanti palpiti  from the opera Tancredi takes exactly the time needed to cook the risotto. This aria is also called the 'rice aria.'

From 1850, he experienced health problems. He passed away on November 13, 1868, in Paris. Rossini was buried in the Cimetière du Père-Lachaise. However, at the request of the Italian government, his remains were transferred in 1887 to the Basilica di Santa Croce in Florence. Now, there is an empty crypt in Père-Lachaise. Rossini's influence extended far beyond his own time, and his works remain popular to this day, regularly performed on stages worldwide.