Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 20.djvu/895

Rh ft S K S 801 monio, was produced with success at the Teatro San Mose at Venice in 1810. In 1811 he produced L'Equivoco stravagante, at Bologna; but his first real triumph was achieved at Venice in 1812, in L'Inganno felice, a work in which his genius unmistakably asserted itself. In the same year he produced La Pietra del Paragone, with equal applause, at Milan, besides four other operas in other places. These pieces were all successful, but Tancredi, written for the Teatro San Fenice at Venice, in 1813, produced a veritable furore. The name of the young maestro was now famous ; yet, strange to say, his greatest comic opera was hissed on its first performance at Rome in 1816. This delightful inspiration, first entitled Alma- viva, but now known as II Barbiere di Siviglia, was founded on a libretto which Paisiello had already treated with success, and hence the refusal of the Roman audience to tolerate it. But the beauty of the music overcame the scruples of the most prejudiced listeners, and, by the time the Barbiere reached its third representation, Rossini was openly accepted as the greatest dramatic composer in Italy. Between 1815 and 1823 Rossini composed no less than twenty operas, including his masterpieces Elisabetta (1815), 11 Barbiere (1816), Otetto (1816), La Cenerentola (1817), La Gazza Ladra (1817), Mose in Egitto (1818), Le Donna del Lago (1819), and Semiramide (1823), the last of which has lately been revived, with so great success, by Madame Adelina Patti. Rossini visited England in 1823, and in 1824 accepted an engagement as musical director of the Theatre Italien in Paris, where, in 1829, he produced his last great masterpiece, Guillaume Tell. After completing this beauti- ful work, he composed no more until 1832, when he wrote the first six movements of the Stabat Mater for private performance only. He completed this lovely composition in 1839, and it was first publicly performed at the Salle Ventadour in 1842. In 1855 he settled permanently in Paris, at 2 Rue Chausse"e d'Antin, where he composed his last work, the Petite Messe Solennelle, which was first privately performed at the house of M. Pillet Will, March 16, 1864, and posthumously produced at the Theatre Italien February 28, 1869. Rossini was twice married to Isabella Colbran in 1821, and in 1847 to Olympe Pelissier. After his final return to Paris he spent a part of every year in a suburban villa in the Avenue Ingres, at Passy, and here he died of a very pain- ful illness, November 13, 1868. He was buried at the church of the Trinite", November 21, with every possible honour. He was a foreign associate of the Institute, " grand officer of the Legion of Honour," the recipient of innumerable orders, and a member of innumerable musical institutions. Honour was justly lavished upon him ; and, though his career was not free from temporary misfortunes, probably no man of genius ever lived a happier life, or enjoyed more fully the appreciation both of brother artists and the general public. Eossini effected a complete revolution in the style of Italian opera. His accompaniments were richer than any that had ever been previously heard in Italy, and in their masterly instrumen- tation rivalled some of the most notable achievements of German art. His use of the crescendo and the "cabaletta," though some- times carried to excess, gave a brilliancy to his music which added greatly to the excellence of its effect. He first accompanied his recitatives with the stringed orchestra in Elisabetta, and with stringed and wind instruments combined in Otello. And his overtures are by far the most masterly and complete composi- tions of the kind that the Italian school has ever produced. ROSTOCK, the largest town of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and one of the most important commercial cities on the Baltic, is situated on the left bank of the estuary of the Warnow, about eight miles from the sea. It lies 177 miles north-west of Berlin by railway, 80 miles north-east of Liibeck, and 106 miles south of Copenhagen. The city consists of three parts the old town to the east, and the middle and new towns to the west of which the first retains some of the antique features of an old Hanse town, while the last two are for the most part regularly and even hand- somely built. There are several fine squares in Rostock, among them theBliicher Platz, with a statue of Field-marshal Bliicher, who was born in the town in 1742. Rostock was at one time a fortress of some strength, but the old fortifications have been razed, and their site is now occu- pied by a promenade. Within the last twenty years the suburbs have considerably extended themselves. Rostock has five old parochial churches : St Mary's, dating from 1398-1472, one of the most imposing Gothic buildings in Mecklenburg; St Nicholas's, begun about 1250 and re- stored in 1450 ; St Peter's, with a lofty tower built in 1400, which serves as a landmark to ships 20 miles at sea ; St James's, completed in 1588; and the church of the Holy Rood, begun in 1270, but now no longer used for service. St Mary's church contains a monument marking the original tomb of Grotius, who died in Rostock in 1645, though his remains were afterwards removed to Delft. Among the other interesting buildings are the curious 14th-century Gothic town-house, the fagade of which is concealed by a Renaissance addition ; the palace of the grand duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, built in 1702 ; the law courts, built in 1878-79; and the new university buildings, erected in 1867-70. The university of Rostock was founded in 1418 by the dukes Johann III. and Albrecht V. From 1437 till 1443 it had its seat at Greifswald in consequence of commotions at Rostock ; and in 1760 it was again removed on this occasion to Biitzow. The professors appointed by the city, however, still taught there, so that there were practically two universities in the duchy until 1789, when they were reunited at the original seat. In winter 1884-5 the uni- versity had a teaching staff of 39, with 265 students; and it possesses a library of 145,000 volumes, various collections and museums, and a number of scientific and literary auxiliary institutions. Rostock is the seat of the supreme court for both the duchies of Mecklenburg, and is well equipped with schools, hospitals, and other institutions. The population in 1810 was 10,979 ; in 1880 it was 36,967, of whom only 224 were Roman Catholics, and only 221 were Jews; in 1885 it was 39,212. Although the population, commerce, and wealth of Bostock have all declined since its palmy days as a flourishing Hanse town in the Middle Ages, it has still a very considerable trade, and no Baltic port possesses so large a merchant fleet. In 1882 314 ships, with a total burden of 97,447 tons, were registered as belonging to Rostock ; and in 1832 730 ships, with a total burden of 80,578 tons entered, and 724 ships, with a total burden of 82,537 tons, cleared, the port. Ships of more than 200 tons burden must discharge part of their cargo at Warnemiinde, at the mouth of the Warnow, the port of Eostock, a fishing village and watering place with 1766 inhabitants, who are distinguished by a peculiar dialect and costume. By far the most important export of Rostock is grain, which goes almost entirely to British ports ; but wool, flax, and cattle are also shipped. The chief imports are coal from Great Britain, herrings from Sweden, petroleum from America, timber, wine, and colonial goods. Eostock has an important fair at Whitsuntide, lasting for fourteen days, and also a frequented wool and cattle market. The industries of the town are very varied. One of the chief -is shipbuilding, which, however, has declined of late years. Cotton, straw hats, tobacco, carpets, soap, cards, chocolate, and dye-stuffs are among the manufactures of the town, which also contains distilleries, saw-mills, oil-mills, tanneries, and breweries. Local historians assert that a village existed on the site of Eostock as early as 329 A. p., but no certain proofs have been traced of any earlier community than that founded here by Pribislaw II. in the 12th century, which is said to have received town rights in 1218. The earliest signs of commercial prosperity date from about 1260. For a time Eostock was under the dominion of the kings of Den- mark. Soon after returning into the protection of Mecklenburg in 1317, it joined the Hanseatic League; and in fact was one of the original members of the powerful and prosperous Wendish Hansa, in