Happy 56th Birthday, Rossini
Fifty-six is no age for a composer and so it is little wonder that Rossini - or at least his music - is alive and well. Born on February 29th, 1792, Gioachino Antonio Rossini soon discovered a penchant and talent in culinary appreciation as well as note-churning. The latter he put to use for the creation of almost 40 operas, the former to support his stately appearance.
So much has been written about Rossini, that I would not likely contribute anything new on this special Rossini-day - so instead I list below all that has been written about Rossini on Ionarts over the last few years.
Except, before I do that, I still want to rehash some reasonably well known stories about Rossini, just because they are too good to pass up on - and because they endear the composer to me, if not always his music.
There is, of course, the story that when Rossini laid on bed composing and he dropped a sheet of freshly written music, rather than making the effort to climb off the bed and pick it up, he simply wrote the music out, again. Consider this - and that tiny little Rossini's daycare consisted of a pork butchery, where he got to watch the production of sausages - and listen to his music carefully...
The most enduring story about Rossini may well be his admission to having cried only three times in his life: Once after his first opera (La cambiale di matrimonio) had a disastrous premiere. Then again when he heard Paganini play. And finally when he witnessed a truffle-stuffed turkey fall overboard in a picnic boating accident. (Sharp tongues might point out that Rossini would have known all about turkeys, but that's just not a nice thing to say on such a rare birthday.)
Rossini on ionarts:
Lawrence Brownlee, classical voice
Another evening of Arias
CDT, October 20, 2016
Lawrence Brownlee Returns to Wolf Trap
An evening of Arias
CDT, March 28, 2016
Rossini's 'Semiramide' in Concert
CD Review
CDT, November 24, 2015
Dismally Banal 'Tell' at Covent Garden
Commentary
CDT, July 03, 2015
Second Opinion: 'Cenerentola' at WNO
Opera Review
RRR, May 13, 2015
In Search of the Perfect Mousetrap: WNO's 'La Cenerentola'
Opera Review
CDT, May 11, 2015
Ionarts-at-Large: Rossini in San Francisco
Opera Review
RRR, November 26, 2013
Briefly Noted: More of Pappano's Rossini
CD Review
CDT, August 27, 2013
Ionarts at Santa Fe: The Lady without a Lake
Opera Review
CDT, August 02, 2013
Operatic Threesome, Damrau Glitters in 'Ory'
DVD Review
CDT, June 21, 2012
Guillaume Tell
DVD Review
CDT, October 14, 2011
Briefly Noted: Julia Lezhneva
CD Review, Rossini AriasCTD, October 6th, 2011
Notes from the 2011 Salzburg Festival ( 9 )
Concert Review, Stabat Materjfl, August 15th, 2011
8½ Turks in Italy at Wolf Trap Opera
Opera Review, Il Turco...CTD, July 14th, 2010
'Cinderella' Not a Dream Come True
Opera ReviewSophia Vastek, September 28th, 2009
'Barber of Seville' as Cartoon, and Not with Bugs Bunny
Opera ReviewCTD, September 15th, 2009
Wall of Horns (Munich Opera Festival 2008)
Concert Review, Works for Horn Octetjfl, August 19th, 2008
Washington Concert Opera: Bianca e Falliero
Opera ReviewCTD, April 15th, 2008
Opera on DVD: Il Viaggio a Reims
DVD ReviewCTD, November 27th, 2007
Ionarts in Siena: Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
Rossini's Otello, Washington Concert Opera
WCOSonya Harway, May 1st, 2007
Flórez's Breakthrough
Siege of Baltimore
L'Assedio di Corinta, Baltimore Lyric OperaCTD, October 16th, 2006
Frolics and Frippery: A Roll in the Hay with Rossini
Le Comte Ory, WolftrapRichard K. Fitzgerarld, July 22nd, 2006
Summer Opera 2006: "Barber of Seville" in St. Louis
Il Viaggio a St. Petersburg
Il Viaggio a Reims, Kirov Opera, Mariinksy Theater, St.PetersburgOksana Khadarina, May 30th, 2006
Let's Do Silly Things in Algeria
Tancredi: Sounds Good
Summer Opera: La Cenerentola at Wolf Trap
La Cenerentola, Wolf TrapCTD, August 21st, 2005
Summer Opera: Barber of Seville in Santa Fe
Even Google celebrates Rossini today:
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