Gaetano Donizetti

Nationality: Italian

Born: Bergamo, November 29^th 1797

Died: Bergamo, April 8^th 1848

Type of music: Bel Canto Opera, songs, symphonies

Main works: L'elisir d'amore (1832), Lucrezia Borgia (1833), Don Pasquale (1843)

Although Donizetti was born into a poor family, he was able to gain a musical education thanks to another operatic composer, Johann Mayr, who founded a free music school in Bergamo. He studied for two further years in Bologna and after which, he began his compositional career.

By 1822 he had already written the opera 'Zoraida di Granata' for a theatre in Rome, and in next few years after he moved to Naples, he was completing up to 5 operas a year. It was in 1830 when he achieved success on the international stage with his opera 'Anna Bolena', After which he began writing for numerous theatres. In 1833, he completed 'Lucrezia Borgia' for the La Scala opera house in Milan.

In 1838, Donizetti moved to Paris where his work was very well received. Works which he completed in this period of his life include 'La fille du regiment', 'Les martyrs' and 'La favorite'.

In 1842, during the period in which he was in ill health, he was appointed as the Kapellmeister to an Austrian court. His last opera, 'Don Pasquale' has it's premiere at the Italian theatre in Paris in 1843.

“My heyday is over, and another must take my place. The world wants something new. Others have ceded their places to us and we must cede ours to still others.. I am more than happy to give mine to people of talent like Verdi. ” - Donizetti, 1844.

Spotify link for the Classical Cafe playlist:

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Gioacchino Rossini

Nationality: Italian

Born: Pesaro, February 29^th 1792

Died: Paris, November 13^th 1868

Type of music: Opera

Main works: William Tell (1829), Stabat Mater (1832-41), Petite messe solennelle (1863)

After Mozart, only a few operas were impressive enough to survive and impress Italy's lively audiences, until Rossini.

Rossini was only 15 when he composed his first opera, 'Dementrio e Polibio'. From 1810 to 1822 Rossini wrote a vast number of operas for productions all over Italy, in both the regular and comedy genres. An example of an opera from this period is 'The barber of Seville', which had it's debut in Rome in 1816. This opera is based on a prequel to 'The Marriage of Figaro'.

In 1822, Rossini settled in Paris and married the singer Isabella Colbran, who created several of the soprano roles for his operas. He continued composing and in 1829 he composed his most famous opera, 'William Tell'. This is his last major operatic work and in fact after this period, his only two compositions in later life are two scared works, including a Stabat Mater.

Rossini was immeasurably innovative in the field of opera. He is one of the first composers to use an orchestra to accompany the recitatives, and helped develop the standard form of an aria which consisted of slow 'cavatina' phrases and fast 'caballeto' phrases.

“Rossini, in music, is the genius of sheer animal spirits.” - Leigh Hunt

Spotify link for the Classical Cafe playlist:

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Franz Schubert

 

Nationality: Austrian

Born: Vienna, January 31^st 1797

Died: Vienna, November 19^th 1828

Type of music: Songs, piano music, Symphonies, String quartets

Main works: 7 complete symphonies, over 600 songs (including Ave Maria)

Schubert composed in all the same genres as his contemporaries, but is most well remembered for his vast output of songs and chamber music, and at the time was celebrated for it, particularly in Austria.

A great number of Schubert's songs were written to text settings of poetry by the poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. An example of an early song by Schubert is 'Gretchen at the Spinning Wheel' which is based on 'Faust' by Goethe. By the time Schubert was 20, as well as having written a great number of songs, he had written his 4^th an 5^th Symphonies too.

In 1817, Schubert was dedicating most of his time to composition now, instead of teaching as well and continued composing songs and also composed 7 piano sonatas in the same year.

Schubert was at the centre of a renowned and exclusive social scene in Vienna, consisting of musicians, writers and poets. They would gather together for salons to hear poetry readings and most importantly, Schubert's music. These salons were known as 'Schubertiads'.

Schubert continued composing songs right until the end of his life. 'Standchen', the famous serenade was composed in the last months of his life. In the September of 1828 he also composed his string quarter in C major.

“The art of music has buried here a rich possession, but still fairer hopes” - Epitaph

Spotify link for the Classical Cafe playlist:

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