Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

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ROSSINI ROSSINI 159
head of the Aoademie de Musique, and if the and among those who are indebted to his care.
new Intendant of the Civil List would acknowledge
the engagements of his predecessor, he Rossini's father died April 29, 1839, and he
Marietta Alboni held the first rank.
returned to Paris in Nov. 1830 ;
and intending soon afterwards, learned to his disgust that the
only to make a short stay, took up his quarters MS. of the ' Stabat ' had been sold by the heirs
in the upper storey of the Th^sltre des Italiens, of Senor Valera, and acquired by a Paris
of which his friend Severini was then director. publisher for 2000 francs. He at once gave
Here, however, he was destined to remain till Troupenas full power to stop both publication
Nov. 1836. The new Government repudiated and performance, and at the same time completed
the work by composing the last four
the agreement of its predecessor, and Rossini
had to carry his claim into the law-courts. movements, which, as we have already said,
Had his law-suit alone occupied him, it would were originally added by Tadolini. The first
not have been necessary to stay quite so long, six movements were produced at the Salle Herz,
for it was decided in his favour in Deo. 1835. Paris, Oct. 31, 1841, amidst very great applause.
But there was another reason for his remaining Troupenas 2 bought the entire score for 6000
in Paris, and that was his desire to hear The
' francs. He sold the right of performance in
Huguenots ' and ascertain how far Meyerbeer's Paris during three months to the Escudiers for
star was likely to eclipse his own. It is impossible
to believe that a mere money question director of the Theatre Italien for 20,000.
8000, which they again disposed of to the
could have detained him so long at a time when Thus three persons were enriched by this single
almost every day must have brought fresh annoyances.
After reducing 'Guillaume Tell' from time at the Salle Ventadour, Jan. 7, 1842, by
work. It was performed complete for the first
five acts to three, they carried their love of Grisi, Albertazzi, Mario, and Tamburini.
compression so far as to give only one act at a Notwithstanding its brilliant success, some
time, as a lever de rideau, or accompaniment to. critics were found to accuse the composer of
the ballet. This was indeed adding insult to importing the strains of the theatre into the
church ; but it must not be forgotten that
religion in the South is a very different thing
from what it is in the North. Mysticism could
injury. 'I hope you won't be annoyed,' said
the Director of the Opera to him one day on
the boulevard, but ' to-night we play the second
act of " " Tell. '
' The whole of it ? ' was the reply.
How much bitter disappointment must have
been hidden imder that reply 1 During the
whole of this unhappy interval he only once
resumed his pen, namely in 1832 for the Stabat
'
Mater,' at the request of his friend Aguado, who
was anxious to serve the Spanish minister Seadr
Valera. He composed at that time only the
first six numbers, and the other four were supplied
by Tsidolini. The work was dedicated to Valera,
with an express stipulation that it should never
leave his hands. Inl834he allowed Troupensis
to publish the ' Soirees musicales,' twelve lovely
vocal pieces of very original form and harmony,
several of which have still retained their charm.
The rehearsals of The Huguenots ' ' lingered
on, and it was not till Feb. 29, 1836, that
Rossini could hear the work of his new rival.
He returned to Bologna shortly after, taking
Frankfort in his way, and meeting Mendelssohn.
He had not been long in Bologna before he heard
of the prodigious success of Duprez in the revival
of Guillaume ' Tell ' (April 17). Such a ti'iumph
might well have nerved him to fresh exertions.
But it came a year too late ; he had already
taken an unfortunate and irrevocable resolution
never again to break silence. It would be very
wrong to conclude from this that he had lost
his interest in music. The care which he bestowed
on the Liceo of Bologna, of which he
was honorary director, shows that the art still
exercised all its claims on him. He was especially
anxious to improve the singing of the pupils,
i
Bee HlUer'Q MendelsKhn, and M.'s own letter, July 14, 1S3Q.
have no place in the mind of such a man as
Rossini, who would naturally utter his prayers
aloud, in the sunshine of noon, rather than
breathe them to himself in the gloom and
mystery of night.
The prayer and the scene
of the darkness in ' Moise,' as well as the first
movement and the unaccompanied quartet in
the 'Stabat,' will always hold their place as
religious music ; and are of themselves sufiicient
to show that Hossini, sceptic as he was, was
not without religious feeling.
But at the very moment that the ' Stabat
was making its triumphant progress round the
world, Rossini began to suffer tortures from the
stone, which increased to such an extent as to
force him, in May 1843, to Paris, where he
underwent an operation which proved perfectly
satisfactory. We next find him writing a chorus
to words byMarchetti for the anniversary festival
of Tasso at Turin, on March 13, 1844. On'the
2nd of the following September ' Othello ' was
produced in French at the Academic with Duprez,
Barroilhet, Levasseur, and Mme. Stoltz. Rossini,
however, had uothing to do with this adaptation,
and the divertissement was ananged
entirely by Benoist from airs in MathUde de
'
Sabran' and 'Armida.' While 'Othello' was
thus on the boards of the opera, Troupenas
brought out La Foi, I'Esperance '
et la Charity
(Faith, Hope, and Charity), three choruses for
women's voices, the first two composed many
years previously for an opera on the subject of
2 We have mentioned that he paid 6000 franca for the
• Si^ge de
'
Corinthe.' For Mo!ae ' he gave only 2400 ; hut, on the other hand,
'
the Comte Ory ' coat him 1^000, and 'Guillaume TeU' 24,000.