The Operas of Gioacchino Rossini
Opera Buffa, Opera Seria, and French Grand Opera
Italian opera composer Gioacchino Rossini, master of early 19th century Italian opera: List of key Rossini bel canto operas from from opera buffas to opera serias.
Key Operas written by Gioacchino Rossini
- Gioacchino Rossini
- Born: February 29, 1792 (Pesaro, Italy)
- Died: November 13, 1868 (Paris, France)
Gioacchino Rossini was Italy’s dominate opera composer of the early 19th century. He wrote 35 operas over two decades (actually retiring at the age of 37 after having written his final opera, Guillaume Tell.) Most famous for his opera Il barbiere di Siviglia, the Barber of Seville, Rossini rejuvenated the art of the opera buffa and opera seria. He is credited with beginning the age of the bel canto. (or beautiful singing) Below are some of Rossini’s more important operatic works. Links will take you directly to the plot summary information for the opera.
- Tancredi (1813, opera seria) - Having already written close to ten other shows, Tancredi is considered his first great opera. It was written when Rossini was only 21 years old. One innovation in this opera is the use of the double aria, where the aria starts slow then becomes fast, which is then repeated. There were two endings for this opera, the original tragic ending and a slightly happier ending for a performance at Ferrara.
- L’italiana in Algeri (The Italian Girl in Algiers, 1813, opera buffa) – This opera was written in only 27 days and Rossini used an already existing libretto. The overture for this opera is actually one of his more popular. One of the more fun moments and a perfect example of Rossini’s ability to write music for comedy comes during the Act II sneezing quintet.
- Il turco in Italia (The Turk in Italy, 1814, opera buffa) – Before this opera opened, opera-goers in Milan spread rumors, accusing the composer of taking much of the music and plot from his previous year’s opera, L’italiana. The fact was, however, that this opera consisted of all new music and a new libretto. Felice Romani, Bellini’s librettist, wrote the comedia dell’arte libretto for this opera.
- Il barbiere di siviglia (The Barber of Seville, 1816, opera buffa) – This opera is considered on of the best comic operas of all-time. Written in about two weeks time, the original name for the opera was Almaviva, ossia l’inutile precauzione. This opera remains one of the most often produced and beloved operas around the world.
- La Cenerentola (Cinderella, 1817, opera buffa) - Rossini’s setting of the Cinderella fairy tale is probably the 2nd most popular of Rossini’s operas. This version, also written in less than a month, uses a bracelet in place of the traditional glass slipper. It is thought that the change was made because at the time the opera was written it was taboo for a woman to show her “naked foot” onstage.
- Le Comte Ory (Count Ory, 1828, opéra comique) - Rossini’s final comic opera was inspired by the real life villain, Count Ory, who had been depicted in a medieval song about knights who seduce a group of nuns. The librettists offered Rossini a one-act libretto about a group of guys dressed as nuns who seduced a countess. Rossini requested that they add a first act, which they did. Half of this score, however, is from a previous opera of three years prior called Il viaggio a Reims. The librettists, so upset over Rossini’s self-plagiarism, had their names removed from the score.
- Guillaume Tell (William Tell, 1828, French grand opéra) – This opera, based on the Swiss legend of William Tell, was Rossini’s first and only attempt at French grand opera. Less ornate than his Italian operas, Rossini sticks to French traditions of lyricism, patriotic songs, ballets in acts 2 and 3, and declamatory recitative. This opera is seldom performed, mostly for two reasons: the length of the show is nearly 5 hours in the theater, and it takes an exceptionally rare voice to sing the demanding tenor role.
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