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ROS recitative is entirely discarded, and the accompaniment of the full orchestra is employed to enforce the vocal declamation throughout—a resource which has been abused in later productions, but employed as Rossini employed it, is infinitely valuable to dramatic effect. A fifth effort of the same year was the cantata of "Teti e Peleo," which was performed likewise at Naples, in celebration of the marriage of the Duchess de Berri. "La Cenerentola" was written for the theatre at Rome where the Barbiere had been played, and it was performed in the corresponding season of 1817. Another of the composer's happiest efforts, "La Gazza Ladra," was produced at Milan in the spring with triumphant success; but "Armida," given at Naples in the autumn, was coldly received. We need not wonder that after the composition of three such works as "Otello," "Cenerentola," and "La Gazza," within a period of nine months, the creative powers of the author should have been for a time exhausted, and that he could not command a reception for yet another opera similar to that which had greeted these. "Adelaida di Borgogna" was given at Rome in the carnival of 1818, but made little impression; "Adina, ossia il Califfo di Bagdad" was then written for and played at Lisbon; "Mosè in Egitto" was produced at Naples during Lent; and "Ricciardo e Zoraide" at the same city, in the autumn. During the first season of the performance of "Mosè," though the opera pleased throughout, the passage of the Red Sea, with which it concluded, was always received with laughter, and thus imperilled the permanence of the work upon the stage. In the ensuing season the popular prayer was inserted in this situation, and its impressive effect gave due solemnity to the close of the opera. In the Lent of 1819 "Ermione" was produced at Naples; "Odoardo e Cristina" was given at Venice in the spring. Rossini then wrote a cantata in honour of the visit of the Emperor Francis II. to Naples, and another to celebrate the fête day of the Neapolitan king. In the autumn he brought out, also at Naples, "La Donna del Lago." A mass composed for performance in the same city, is likewise said to have been written in this year. Far less active was our fertile composer in 1820, when his only productions were "Bianca e Faliero," at Milan, and "Maometto Secondo," at Naples, both given during the carnival season. Another year of comparative idleness for Rossini was 1821, when he wrote only "Matilda di Shabran" for Venice in the carnival season, and a cantata, "La Riconoscenza," to be performed for his own benefit at Naples, in December. During the carnival of 1822 he produced "Zelmira" at Naples. He was then sent by Barbaja to direct the opera at Vienna, where his works were extremely popular, and where it was foreseen that his presence would render them still more attractive. On his way thither he stayed at Bologna; there he married Mademoiselle Colbran, who possessed a large property near the town, and who had been the prima donna at S. Carlo in Naples during the period of Rossini's direction. The season at Vienna was opened with the German version of "Cenerentola," which the composer chose to conduct, previously to introducing the Italian company, with the idea of ingratiating himself in the favour of the Austrians; but he needed no such ingratiation with a public predisposed to welcome him. On his return to Italy he wrote "Il vero Omaggio," a cantata for performance in honour of the emperor's visit to Verona. His engagement with Barbaja having expired, he considered that he had the power to dispose of the right of performing "Zelmira" at Venice; but this opera having been written during that engagement, the Neapolitan manager claimed an exclusive property in it, and while Rossini contracted for its production at one theatre, Barbaja authorized its being brought out at another, and a lawsuit was the consequence, in which the latter being successful, Rossini became personally very unpopular in Venice. It increased the ill-feeling towards him of the public there, that, having engaged to write a new opera for the carnival, he brought instead his "Maometto II.," with but some slight alterations. This opera had been indifferently received on its first performance; and the Venetians, thinking themselves insulted by the offer of an old failure when they expected a new work, were so riotous in their resentment that they would not allow the representation to proceed. Rossini made his peace, however, with the people of Venice by the production of "Semiramide" during the carnival of 1823, which was the last opera he wrote in Italy, and he thus closed what may be distinguished as the first period of his dramatic career, in the city where he commenced it. He was now offered a most lucrative engagement to come to London with his wife, where she was to sing, and he was to direct the opera and produce a new work, at the King's theatre. He had grown weary of the restraint of Barbaja's engagement, the terms of which, though liberal at the time the contract was made, were small in comparison with those now proposed to him. His brilliant reception at Vienna had made him feel how much higher the prophet is esteemed elsewhere than in his own country, and he unhesitatingly left the land where he had wrought so laboriously for such little remuneration. After a short stay in Paris, he arrived in this country at the opening of the opera season in January, 1824. Madame Rossini made here a decided failure; the promised new opera was never written; and "Zelmira"—the only work, not already known here, that was given—did not please. These were causes enough to dissatisfy the public, or rather the opera-goers, with Rossini; but nevertheless he received such munificent payment for conducting and singing at private concerts, and he had so many engagements of this kind, that he amassed an enormous sum during his residence of but a few months in England. This, however, may be regarded as a result of fashion, not of popular taste, since the idolized maestro never came before the English people, but received all his adulation from the court and the aristocracy. He returned to Paris, where he was appointed director of the Italian opera, with the condition that he should compose for that theatre, and his engagement also provided that he should write operas to the French language for the Académie Royale. His indolence of character led him to defer from time to time all attempts at composition, and the favour in which he was held by the minister, prevented his being compelled to fulfil these duties. Thus, he produced nothing until the coronation of Charles X. in the summer of 1825, when he brought out an occasional piece, "Il Viaggio a Reims," which, from its nature, could have but a temporary success. After this he remained for a long time idle, and when Paris became clamorous for some new production from him, he at length brought out "Le Siège de Corinthe," in October, 1826; this was the "Maometto II." which had failed at Naples and been rejected at Venice, adapted to a new libretto with some few additions, and with new recitative to appropriate it to the altered story. With none of the feeling that had been so fatal to the work at Venice, the Parisians greeted this opera with enthusiasm, which must not, however, be wholly ascribed to their admiration of Rossini or their love of the music; the struggles of the Greeks and Turks excited at this time the deepest sympathy, and the transfer of the action of the opera to the scene of general interest, and the insertion of many allusions to the subject which engrossed popular feeling, gave a political character to the work, which not a little contributed to its success. Another adaptation from one of his Italian operas ("Mosè"), with modifications to fit it for the French stage, was "Moïse," which was given in 1827 with success, all the more legitimate that it arose solely from the artistic merit of the work. "Le Comte Ory," given in 1828, though it incorporated a greater part of the "Viaggio," had more pretensions to be considered a new work than the two preceding; but the feebleness of the libretto prevented this opera from making a powerful effect. At last Rossini was induced seriously to apply himself to the composition of a new opera, and at this he worked with greater care than he had ever bestowed upon another; he devoted more time to it than at an earlier period had sufficed him for the production of half a dozen works, and the pains of this labour were not in vain; "Guillaume Tell," the most earnest composition of Rossini, was brought out in August, 1829. The badness of the adaptation of Schiller's tragedy, which constitutes the libretto of this opera, was eminently injurious to its original success; and even now, when the merit of the music has forced the work upon the admiration of the world, this militates in a great degree against its stage effect. "Guillaume Tell" had, chiefly from this cause, a reverential rather than a brilliant reception when it first appeared, but it has grown in general esteem from that time till now. Rossini's indolent disposition, before noticed, rendered him most unfit for the office he held at the head of the Théatre Italien, and this establishment had consequently sunk into the worst possible condition; the minister's favour could no longer screen him from the censure he incurred, and he was obliged to resign his appointment; but on his retirement he was instituted intendant-general de la musique du roi, and inspecteur-general de chant en France, with a salary of twenty thousand francs. These