Gioachino Rossini

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EVERYONE knows that Gioachino Rossini was one of the greatest opera composers of all time. And if you look at the photographs, it's pretty clear he had other interests beyond music.

In fact in a popular series of informational books, one of the articles mentioned that Gioachino had to have a special table constructed to accommodate the effects of his pastime. Of course, we had the option of believing it or not, and biographies of the famous composer don't mention any specifically crafted furniture.

Gioachino was born on February 29, 1792, in Pesaro, Italy. This city is on the east coast of the country on the Adriatic Sea. Temperatures along the Adriatic are slightly lower than those on most of the Mediterranean and the sea itself tends to be calmer. Due to the water's relatively smoothness, cruises along the Adriatic are suitable for people with a tendency to seasickness.

Gioachino's parents were both musicians. His dad, Giuseppe, was a part time trumpeter, but his mom, Anna, was a touring professional operatic singer and eventually reached star status. Gioachino himself had a fine singing voice and while traveling with his parents he was able to earn extra money singing in choruses and choirs. But early on he showed such a talent for composing that the musicians would ask the kid to supply songs and arias for the performances. At that time, opera was the craze - the rock concerts of the time, and even though Gioachino's first operas weren't that successful, his later work, La pietra del paragone, was performed in 1812 to critical and financial success.

That's one thing that distinguished Gioachino from a lot of the other independent composers navigating the transition from the Classical to the Romantic Era. He had a true genius not just for composing but for lucrative composing. Mozart famously had money problems and was always having to ask his friends for a "trifle". Although Beethoven couldn't be called poor, neither could be called particularly rich.

But by 1816 Gioachino was a wealthy man and that year he had his big hit with Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville). He became a true celebrity in the modern sense, and he could make news just by being in town.

By the time he premiered Guillaume Tell (William Tell) in 1829, Gioachino had written forty operas. Then for some reason - still debated by scholars - he decided to call it quits. At the age of only 37, Gioachino wrote no more operas although he would still compose songs that he and others would perform at his regular dinner parties.

In 1822 Gioachino married Isabella Colbran, a famous singer and accomplished composer in her own right. But the marriage wasn't the most contented. For one thing Gioachino had a number of girlfriends and around 1837, Isabella up and left, an event that was reportedly effected by mutual agreement. By then Gioachino's main girlfriend was Olympe Pélissier of whom some articles rather discourteously refer to as a "courtesan". Isabella died in 1845 and Gioachino and Olympe got married the following year.

In 1855, Gioachino and Olympe relocated to Paris. Gioachino's health was never that great, and the City of Light was not just one of the centers of art, culture, and music, but the Parisian physicians were reputed to be the best in the world. The Rossinis remained in Paris where Gioachino lived until 1868.

The story of the specialized table may not be true but it does reflect Gioachino's well-known enjoyment of what the Italians call i piaceri dell'alta cucina. He didn't like to eat out and so he and Olympe almost always had people over. The standard dinner was to have twelve guests although there could be as many as sixteen. Of course, afterwards there would be music and even more people would show up after the meal.

Gioachino's reputation as a gourmand - a gastronome actually - and his excellent repasts have resulted in a number of Italian dishes bearing his name. Among the various dishes alla Rossini are Macaroni Soup alla Rossini, Veloute Rossini, Risotto alla Rossini, Filet of Sole alla Rossini, Canneloni alla Rossini, Pheasant Suprême alla Rossini, Stuffed Turkey alla Rossini, Coupe Rossini, and most famously, Tournedos alla Rossini.

Tournedos alla Rossini is a sauteed filet mignon served on buttered toast with foie gras and truffles on top. Naturally there are other ingredients and the manner of preparation is of paramount importance. But the foie gras and truffles are common in much of the alla Rossini cuisine.

Modern dishes are still being fashioned with the famous composer in mind. Coupe Rossini - a fruit dessert with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries among other delectables - was created for the 2005 opera season in San Francisco.

And there is even Pizza Rossini which you find in Gioachino's birthplace, Pesaro. Pizza Rossini is similar to the margherita pizza - a simple pizza with hand-crushed peeled tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, fresh basil leaves, and extra virgin olive oil - but for the alla Rossini appendage it is then topped with slices of hard-boiled eggs and finished by adding lines of mayonnaise. Invented in the 1960's Pizza Rossini may seem a bit alien to the American palate, but the citizens of Pesaro extol its virtues.

Ottimo! Squisito! Delizioso!

References and Further Reading

Gioacchino Rossini: The Reluctant Hero, Alan Kendall, Gollancz Ltd., 1992.

"Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868)", Music Academy Online.

"Food for Thought: Mealtime with Gioachino Rossini", Georg Predota, Interlude, March 14th, 2023.

"Rossini: Composing the Perfect Meal", Lyric Opera of Chicago, November 10, 2020.

"Top 10 'alla Rossini' Recipes", Michael Zwiebach, Classical Voice, August 17, 2012.

"Rossini: Composing the Perfect Meal", Lyric Opera of Chicago, November 10, 2020.

"Pizza with Mayo? Yes, it’s Pizza Rossini (in Pesaro Only)", La Cucina Italiana, September 16, 2019.