New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-11-16
OBITUARY.
ROss1Sr.

GiOacchinO ROssini, the greatest composer for m.
Italian stage since Mozart died in Paris on Saigrd,
at the age of nearly a. Although it is many year
since he has enriched art with any important work |
it cannot be said that he actually Withdrew from |
public life until he quilted the world altoeetbe, |
The unwayeIing success with which his best opera,
have kept the stage the influence which he has er |
ercised upon musical style since the production
of his Tancyedi more than fifty years ago. and the ca
lebrity OF his salon in Paris where tbs |
representatives. of all that most dstn. |
guished in literary. artistic. and fashionabl.
circles were proud to be admitted to do homage
to the great maestro. made forget that ROesini
was composer OF the last generation rather than Of
the present ana that although many years must Das
before the uni OF wealth which he opened TO tbs
writers who came after him can be exhausted |
style Of composition is already beginning TO dis
place that with which he so long ruled tho musical
world
RosslnI was born in Pesaro near Bologna Feb q |
1892. Both his parents were members of strolinS
operate company, his mother singer his father
play er on the horn. His Musical talent was de-
yelopcd very carly, so that before mo was - yean
old he was able to accompany his father on the horn
aud Il is perhaps in part to these youthful studi,
that indebted for the beautiful passages 70,
that instrument which are so conspicuous m several
of his operas. IL Is related that ten or twelve years
ago, long after he had given up the Practice Of
position the French horn player Viyier played for
him at Paris. and ROssln touched by the per-
formanco that tho next day he shut himself up anl
wrote r0ndO Of 80 or GO page3 which he dedicated
TO the artist who bad suggested it's composition
While lac was still boy ho was taught |
singing by BoOgncse master. ana deyel
oped a remarkably hne soprano voice. lie
| was chorlster an churches, and cborns mas
ter IN little provincial thoateIs until at the aga
OF 49, his voice having broken lie entered tbe lyccgm
of Bologna fOf the purpose OF Studying c0unterTOnt
under the severe and scientific Matter. lie hadtls
patience icf the hard details 81 Matters system and
| stayed with him only lOHg enough 10 acquire 4
! knowledge OF the simplest rules OF harmony
| bat he gave his days and nights TO The Study
I ,. haaf ufsI,e Of ~
zart. and occupied has leisure With efforts -
! lyric composition, several Ga whDb. Written
when he was only 10 or IL wears Of age wcis
subsequently given 20 the word, Alter they had
pFOaably received more or less poinhing and lii-
/ prOyciuent. The ii!st COi.sdcfaDc WofS OF his ~
the order OI performance, thOuth h.t, We believe
fine first composed was al Qperutta called La Can
| Ligir u Hq'rimoaio' which be wrote for the San
| Nose rhcatcr in Venice. is success, though rot
/ brilliant WAS sufficient 70 encourage INN 70 pTrie
we're. and in 1911 le brought out 20 Rome one Of hs
earlier works, opera called ''LfHefi0 FJilJ'o
which IS now forgotten. SlCo'.y OD.-vI0h Wa$ aiD
| the fate OF six out oi TIE eight woik5 winch 30
placed on tho stage during tho next twO years tue
! lu.k If the T:ipaaas tYo. H!F-saD JelH'
| contains evidence of decided genius. a1d
WAS well liked in IT. r. Gay s ny 1T. ~
$50 placed it, composer m the mt rank Of hls
! profession. and marks an lmpOttmt era ~ mo ms,
! tory 0! music. IL cIeateo an Almost uiipts,eieu
enthusiasm it found lis way quickly mo almost
every t1eater in Europe ana ITS pitncpai airs were
heard N every saloon and ed IN every street
The influence of Gluck when altf. lOhg opposition
had forced ITSELF into Italy was dcotIOJ pa ~ sgle
! Jay That severe simplicity of STYLE, that square
emf melOdic defamation, that absolute suDlectOu OF
/ the form and spirit OF the music to yhe sense and
spirit of the text which the great German icioilner
! VI the lyric stage had spent n lifetime III
] cBfOrciag-lll were forgotten IN a moment
B - soon d, TIE Boognese yoqth shOWed Iho WWA
hOW % cJuibnc intense iClDu4| tAP,'io i H'h l'g
| most elaborate ornament Of style lie had studied
Mozart % s0mc purpose; but he Bdu 700 inUc' GENUS
In he 4 c3ijt -t hOzaIts iOIld style . not S bett
q f..F.. % f.afrI
decOrates lis arids Is beautiful ana ingenious bnt u
Is too often an CXcIesceucc. EOs-lm Iouhh ONT now
to brca le sonl into this cold ba-uty' Oy masking y
not o mere decoration % She ic.o"l H"g - F1it u
| tho u,lJly itself and tLus his moss hoId writings
! are often eloquent with thc C'"p'st iet!AX
/ H.. n0t only pleased the popular car b't
/ he ,oseLsd The popular heart re bot
merely oyeIpOweTed TIC scAooi OF nlaca TOT ibe ilIc
but hs rye IL q blow from which y has never recoy
cred f" IaB8fdi' d well IS "LUali0H4 90 IfgTT.
imposed in te same year aud 90 ~ fWco ph!ih'
written u 1914. are stul performed, but 5ity lais
been ccl.psed by RcS,ir!s l@ier works, among which
the Barber OF seville Nolbl deserves l0femo't
place 1E.s without doubt the best Italian opcd
bHga ever written, has been often styled TIE cha"'
pagnoof mUsic1 FIFTY years igeGdens ispe,i .4n
ling vivacity, aud 1t is still one OF THO mos popular
works ia the modern Iepeftoly. It was nist
! produced Rome during thu Carnival
aud the greater part OF 1t Is sad 70 have been written
| ia eight days. The year before this, The Young
/ maestro vas appointed director OF the san Carlo
tEeatcr al Naples, where within two Jeans no piO-
/ duCcd no fewer than seven operas. tle ~ these
"OtheIon beside being still popular is interesting
/ rs one OF the earliest and strongest examples
of his forcbe style. Another Cinderella"
ttU0tai0ial one of the most successful OF Us ford
works j. well remembered IL New-lO:A b. the Dcg.
/. tornanceS OF AlbOni when she INST came 10 Eils
country. third of the seven was the spgightly
" Ia G0c-d Lddld.' Close upon these followed HIS
Moses ia Egypt originally plodnced Is an oIatoyo
StS and nine years aterw ard altered into If tho
finest serious operas OF the age Astounding with dig
nlty with grand vocal and instrumental elects, and
with the most delicate ana graceful melody. IA tho
oratOgn form Is tayOyitc piece FOX the exercise of
musical societies; IN iis enlarged aud greatly IN
proved shape as a sacred open! . iastlleOus pnbe
sentiment ils prevented its performance M England
except m some absurd disguise wfclchy Moses Was
turned into Peter the lleTmit but = BIAS been adni-
rably represented IN New York. and ten Oh twelve
years ago Susini made great hit here Ia tho
title role .Adelina Patti, BrsnOh, aud toe bdrii0no
Ferri being also ~ the cast. Alter pr0ducing 10
Donna del LagOp MQOHeltO H,' /eiPird," and
number oi minor works. he took leave OF the iahan
stage m 1879 with an opera more elaborate anu g1i
gcOuS than anything he had yet composed. This wa,
his ma,n tceut " Semr0mjde.n It's production wac
attended with circumstances OF peculiar interest
lie had qarrcled with the Nenatians the year before
over representation of his ".hlomdto,'
which took place in the midst of q tu'
mutt almost amounting TO riot his lneor,,
risible Incidence which pegpetUaAy disappointed
the public of the work he had promised them. and
led him to oiler. as new operas rcpctitOns slightly
disguised OF his old compositions, had stirred ups
contest in The eHoitable Italian city, where lyric
representations We're matters OF grave public con.
cern, aud the satisfaction or dspieaSure OF m audi
ence was always manifested by uprOar. Personal
cabals were no doubt also nc work and from seven
in the evening till three IN the morning the com;
poser and the unlucky singers were the objects OF
every conceivable Outrage short OF personal
violence. After scene ike this kosSlni feit
the necessity of making his peace by the most
careful and brilliant writing OF which he was cap
able" .S,miraiidep the result. Inc Deantlihl
melody in tho overture conclliated the lmpulsivo
VenetianS Ut once and as the opera went on hunoer
after number was chcered with tumultuOps applause,
aud the same singers who had been hooted the year
before shared IN the ovation. Ihis was gra'l{inS
close IN fine naestro's Italian caTeer-a winch