Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1872-07-09
How ROssini Wrote the Opera
Of OthelIO.

VI
Rossni had come to Naples, pro-
ceeded by his great reputation. The
first person who met him, as he alighted
from his carriage, was the famous i'm
pressario of San Carlo, Dominica
Barbaia.
Without giving the great composer
time to take a step. or to speak word,
Barbaia addressed him:
81 have three proposals to make to
you, and / hope you won't refuse eth
ef of them.
"Let me hear them," said Rossini,
with the arch smile SO characteristic
of him.
al propose that you should make
my house your home during your stay
in Naples"
al accept"
al propose to entertain you and
you friends at my own table daily"
81 accept"
81 propose that you should write a
new opera for me and my theatre"
81 shall not accept the third propo-
sal" '
"What You refuse to work foi
me ?"
"I will not work for you, nor any.
ony else ! l am not going to compose
any more music"
"You are crazy, my dear fellow"
"That may bc-but 1 have told you
the exact truth"
"What are you going to do then, at
Naples 2"
al am going to eat macaroni and
ices. / have perfect passion fol
both"
~ will have ices made for you by
my confcctioner, who is the most re
nowned in the city, and | will myself
prepare macaroni for you, which will
give you satisfaction, I'll warrant you.
"This begins to look interesting"
"But you must give me an opera in
exchange" ..... ......
"We will sce."
"Take one month, two months, six
months
| agreed six months let it be-"
"Come, then, to supper"
From that very evening the place Of
Barbaia was put at -Rosini's disposal
The proprietor withdrew from all in.
tcrferenc, and the celebrated composer
made himself at home, in the strictesi
acception of the term. All the friends
or even the mercst acquaintances whom
he met in his promcnades, he invited
to Barbaias table without hesitation
he did the .honors as host to these
guests with perfect case and grace
Sometimes he complained that he could
not find friends enough to make the
banquets gay with all the efforts he
could make, he could not always get
more than twelve or fifteen to join
him at table--thosc were unlucky
days. ..
| As to Barbaia, faithful to the role
of cook which he had imposed upon
! himself, he invented new dishes every
day, brought out the oldest and best
wines from his cellar, and Was as gra-
cious to y the unknown people whom
RossiSi invited to his table as if they
had been his oldest friends. Only at
the end of the repast, with infinite ad-
dress and smiling lips, he would slip
in between the fruit and the cheese, a
few words about the promised opera,
and the great success it was sure to
fhave.
But in spite of the grateful way in
which the impressario ventured to al
lude to the debt which the composer
had contracted, these remarks pro-
duced the same effect upon Rossini as
the three terrible words did upon Bel.
sbazzar at his famous feast. There
fore, Barbala, whose presence had
been tolerated for a time at dessert,
was politely requested by his guest
not to present himself in future.
Months slipped by. The libretto
was completed but the composer show
ed no signs of putting himself at work.
Dinners, drives, pispics followed each
other IN ranid success;on ftunt;no