The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-05-27
THE COMPOSER RossrNL

nobly.
THE COMPOSER RossrNL
"
OF the Man whose ssstabst Mater
Was the Center of Work Last night
The "Stabat Mater" 'Tancred,D will
lam Tell,r 'Semirsmide.r The Barber of
Seville" all are household words among
the lovers of music, and all are MASTER
pieces. but which 10 the masterpiece Pos
sibly the question can be we'd down
to three: the 'Stabat Mater William
Ter.r n THE Barber each of which
ranks among the first Of it's kind, but be-
tween the three there can be no companion:
it BECOMES q question of which 10 the
higher class of music. As between them.
religious music is usually gwen first
rank. just as is religious painting. and the
world has come TO recognize as Rossini's
''magnum opus the religious poem Of 1871
rather than the serious opera of 1899 or the
comic opera Of 1918.
While incomparably the greatest Ital-
ian composer Of the century. Rossini be-
longed not TO Italy alone. but to all Europe.
composing for Germany, France. Spain and
Portugal as well as Italy. He began TO
SoiubSo ~ iAtCcn WhSh Ao WAOtS q ton-
tata in 1905; his active career was finished
t Taen World ne gave ,ssM %ii'1 IN r rs1T to
years he had made his magnih-
cent fame and fortune. Though
the rest of his life wa passed In compare
tive inactivity he continued TO remind the
world by such works as the "Stsbat Mater
aud the three choruses. Faith Hope"
and Charity" that be WAS the Rossini of
old; by his last production. the glorious
Mass Solonelle," IN 1868. he proved that
even &C the age or sev-nty-tw he retained
his powers in all their fullness. The main
incidents of Rossini's life are all connected.
more or less. with music. In HE youth.
when Prince Eugene was Viceroy of Italy,
he would have fallen a victim 70 the con-
genius be had already gwen. When. at the
age of thirty. he chose q wife be married a
singer for whom he had written some of
his greatest parts, AS a young man he was
constantly travelling from one Italian city
to another to superintend the production
of his works. And his visits and residences
in other parts of Europe were always de-
termined by HE musical work he had no
ambition apart from music. and was quite
satisfied with being the first musical COM
poser of his epoch. He was observant. well
informed, talked well on q great variety of
subjects. and possessed the sort OF cultiva-
ton which might have been expected from
his long association with eminent people in
0f Va u Gha oL tA0 ~
political and social distinction.
His nervous temperament, his habit of
writing in bed. his hatred of anything like
drudgery, are ell personal traits a. well
known TO the musical public az bis CREST
compositions. He let fall q composition be
was just finishing once; rather than pick
the paper mp. he composed another. He
wrote 'Di Tanti Palpiti" while his dinner
was being served. While preparing for
"Tancred.n in 1872. he composed hive other
operas. THE Barber" was written in thir-
teen days, and this work. "0tello.v La
C~enerentola," l. Gazza Isdran and some
minor works were produced IN a little over
q year. He wrote nothing operate after
he was thirty-seven. but he wrote enough
to make lame for half q dozen composers
before he was thirty.
There was nothing dramatic in RossinPs
life. From an obscure origin. a son of the
Romagna. he rose in q very few years 20 be
one of the most cele brated men an Europe;
but this gave him no trouble. His success
was immediate: he never met with an OBJ
stacie OF any importance and his brllllant
genius was never seriously denied With
fame came TO HIM fortune and. unlike most
men Of genius. he knew how to take care
of both. Like every great man he was 3
great reformer. In ten years he complete
~ changed the Italian system. introducing
many valuable reforms in serious opera.
while for the old force of opera-boutfe he
substituted the style of light comedy. best
shown in THE Barber" and LA Ceneren.
tola."
After william Tell.D a magnificent sue
cess in Its music. and just as magnificent q
failure IN its dramatical construction. haa
ceased for this reason 10 draw" R0ssini
wrote no more for the stage. though ne re-
maine In France for some time. Then
came the revolution of 1881, which involved
him in considerable financial annoyance
and litigation. Two years later, In 49,.
Don Varela, @ distinguished S~paniard, pre-
vailed upon him to compose a "Stabat
Mater" which was not intended TO be made
public. After beginning il illness pre-
vented its completion. and he got radolini
10 finish three of the pieces. Don Nsrela
died. and in 1S41 his heirs sold the work TO
a music publisher. when Rossini claimed
suit at law. He composed three
pieces to replace those of Tadolini
and sold the work TO bis own publisher.
He was then residing st Bologna The
"Stabatp was first performed in public in
1872, and while IL increased Rossinis repu-
tation by showing his genius in q new
light. many critics complained that the
music was not sufficiently devotional; that
IL was essentially operate in it's character.
Though Rossini told Ferdinad Hitler that
he was but half serious in composing the
serious when ne said 90. Ii was composed
for the Catholic Church. which accepted IL
without even s~uspecting hat il was not
religious In character. and the critic b
would suspect as much now 10 hard TO find.
Heine took W the gauntlet against the
clumsy critics of north Germany. and de-
Tended the religious sincerity of the work
with great yigor In an article in the Allge-
meinde Zeitung, in 1912.