Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

'
156 ROSSINI ROSSINI
opponents in Vienna, but they gave him no
anxiety, friends and enemies alike were received
with a smile, and his only retort was a goodhumoured
joke. He is said to have visited
Beethoven, and to have been much distressed
by the condition in which he found the great
master. The impression which he made on the
"Viennese may be gathered from a paragraph in
the Leipzig AUgemeine rmisik, Zeiiung^ of the
day, in which he is described as ' highly accomplished,
of agreeable manners and pleasant
appearance, full of wit and fun, cheerful, obliging,
courteous, and most accessible. He is
uMich in society, and charms every one by his
simple, unassuming style. ' After the close of
the Vienna season, the Rossinis returned to
Bologna, where his parents had resided since
1798. There, at the end of September, he
received a flattering invitation from Prince
Metternich, entreating him to come to Verona,
and he accordingly arrived at the Congress in
time for its opening, Oct. 20, 1822. Rossini's
contribution to the Congress was a series of
cantatas, which he poured forth without stint
or difficulty. The best known of these is ' II
vero Omaggio ' ; others are ' L' Augurio felice,'
'
La sacra AUeanza, ' and ' II Bardo.
The Congress at an end, he began to work at
'
Semiramide, ' which was brought out at the he carried him off to Brighton and presented
Fenice, Venice, Feb. 3, 1823, with Madame him to the King. George IV. believed himself
Rossini, the two Marianis, Galli, and Sinclair to be fond of music, and received the author of
the English tenor, for whom there were two the ' Barbiere ' in the most flattering manner.
airs. The opera was probably written with
' Zelmira ' wais brought out at the Opera on
more care than any of those which had preceded Jan. 24, 1824 ; and the royal favour naturally
it ; and possibly for this very reason was somewhat
brought with it that of the aristocracy, and a
coldly received. The subject no doubt solid result in the shape of two grand concerts
would seem sombre to the gay Venetians, and at Almack's, at two guineas admission. The
they even omitted to applaud the fine quartet
(which Verdi must surely have had in his mind
when writing the Miserere in the ' Trovatore '),
singers on these occasions were Mme. Rossini,
Mme. Catalani, Mme. Pasta, and other first-rate
artists, but the novelty, the attraction, was to
the finale, and the appearance of Ninns, the hear Rossini himself sing the solos ' in a cantata
final trio, at once so short and so dramatic, the (or ' ottavino ') which he had composed for the
cavatina with chorus, and all the other new, occasion, under the title of 'II Pianto delle
bold, bright passages of that remarkable work. Muse in Morte di Lord Byron.' He also took
Rossini was not unnaturally much disappointed part with Catalani in a duet from Cimarosa's
at the result of his labour and genius, and resolved
' Matrimonio to write no more for the theatres of his encored
'
three
which
times.
was so successful
He appeared at
as to
the
be
socalled
native country. The resolution was hardly
Cambridge ' Festival ' again with Catalani,
formed when he received a visit from the in July 1824. The opera manager was unable
manager of the King's Theatre, London (Sigr. to finish the season, and became bankrupt before
Benelli), and a proposal to write an opera for discharging his engagements with Rossini. , Nor
that house, to be called La ' Figlia dell' aria,' was this all. Not only did he not produce the
for the sum of £240—£40 more than he had
' Figlia deir aria,' but the music of the first act
received
'
for Semiramide, ' a sum at the time unaccountably vanished, and has never since
oonsideted enormous. The offer was promptly been found. It was in vain for Rossini to sue
accepted, and the Rossinis started for England the manager ;
he failed to obtain either his MS.
without delay, naturally taking Paris in their or a single penny of the advantages guaranteed
road, and reaching it Nov. 9, 1823. Paris, like to him by the contract. True, he enjoyed a
Vienna, was then divided into two hostile camps considerable set-off to the loss just mentioned
on the subject of the great composer. Berton in the profits of the countless soirees at which
always spoke of him as 'M. Crescendo,' and he acted as accompanist at a fee of £50. At
he was caricatured on the stage as M. Vaoar-
'
1 May 8, 1822, reporting the early part at Uarcta.
I
niini' ; but the author of the
' Barbiere ' could
aflford to laugh at such satire, and his respectful
behaviour to Cherubini, Lesueur, and Reicha,
as the heads of the Conservatoire, his graceful
reception of the leaders of the French School,
his imperturbable good temper and good spirits,
soon conciliated every one. A serenade, a public
banquet, triumphant receptions at the operahouse,
a special vaudeville (' Rossini h. Paris, ou
le Grand Diner')—everything in short that
could soothe the pride of a stranger was lavished
upon him from the first. He in his turn was
always kindand amiable, consenting, for instance,
at the request of Panseron—an old colleague at
Rome—to act as accompanist at a concert with
the object of saving Panseron's brother from
the conscription. Under the hands of Rossini
the piano became' as effective as an orchestra ;
and it is on record that the first time that
Auber heard him accompany himself in a song
he walked up to the instrument and bent down
over the keys to see if they were not smoking.
Paris, however, was not at present his ultimate
goal, and on Dec. 13, 1823, Rossini and his
wife arrived in London. 'They were visited
immediately by the Russian ambassador, M. de
Lieven, who gave the composer barely time to
recover from the fatigues of the journey before
2 ThiB rooallB the rtsit of a great composer in 1?46. when Gluclt
gave a eoneert at the King's Theatre, at which the great attraction
was his solo on the musical glasses ! [See vol. ii. p. 1836 ]