Gioacchino Rossini (1792-1868), though perhaps only now popularly known for

, was the most important opera-composer of his generation, composer of 39 operas in 19 years, and perhaps the most decisive for Italian opera in bringing together its two distinctive eighteenth century forms,

and

, and then for bringing both into relation with French opera. He was born in Pesaro, on the Adriatic, to professional musicians. He began writing operas professionally in 1810, making his reputation in Venice, with his tenth opera,

(1813) which also made his name outside Italy. Alongside this

from a play by Voltaire based loosely on Tasso's

(it is alluded to in Byron's

, it is being sung in Balzac's

2047 words

Citation: Tambling, Jeremy. "Gioacchino Rossini". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 21 March 2002 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=5130, accessed 26 November 2024.]

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