Gioachino Rossini

Life & Operatic Output

Gioachino Rossini (1792–1868) stands among the composers represented in the OperaPedia catalogue, with 20 stage works entered into the archive. Working in the Italian tradition, the composer's operatic output is preserved here in editorial entries that draw on public-domain reference sources and contemporary scholarship.

The Classical moment in which Gioachino Rossini worked offered a particular set of theatrical and musical conventions: the orchestration vocabularies, the formal expectations of audiences, the standards of vocal writing and stagecraft prevailing in the leading houses, and the close relationship between composer and librettist that defined the working life of every opera composer of the period. The works listed below should be read against that broader cultural and institutional background.

Each individual entry on this page links to a complete article giving the synopsis, premiere details, language of performance, and notable arias for the work in question. Readers consulting OperaPedia for the first time may wish to begin with the most frequently performed of Gioachino Rossini's operas before working outward into the lesser-known corners of the catalogue.

Listeners and students approaching the operatic output of Gioachino Rossini will find that the entries linked below trace a coherent arc through the composer's career. Each opera's individual page in OperaPedia includes the synopsis, the librettist's contribution, the date and venue of the premiere, the language of performance, and notes on the principal arias and ensembles. Where the source data permits, we also note the relationship of each work to the broader currents of Classical opera.

Operas in the OperaPedia Catalogue

The following 20 operas by Gioachino Rossini are catalogued in OperaPedia, listed in chronological order of premiere. Click any title for the full editorial entry, including synopsis, premiere details, language, and notable arias.

• n/a Armida Italian
• n/a L'equivoco stravagante Italian
• 1785 Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra, 1785 Teatro San Carlo Italian
• 1788 Il turco in Italia, 1788 Italian
• 1789 Aureliano in Palmira, 1789 La Scala Italian
• 1791 La cambiale di matrimonio, 1791 Teatro San Moisè in Venice Italian
• 1798 Bianca e Falliero, 1798 Italian
• 1806 Demetrio e Polibio, 1806 Rome's Teatro Valle Italian
• 1807 Il viaggio a Reims, 1807 Italian
• 1809 Il signor Bruschino, 1809 Teatro San Moisè Italian
• 1810 Eduardo e Cristina, 1810 Teatro San Benedetto Italian
• 1810 L'occasione fa il ladro, 1810 Italian
• 1810 La Cenerentola, 1810 Italian
• 1812 Ciro in Babilonia, 1812 Teatro Comunale Italian
• 1812 L'inganno felice, 1812 Teatro San Moisè Italian
• 1813 L'italiana in Algeri, 1813 Teatro San Benedetto Italian
• 1817 Adelaide di Borgogna, 1817 Teatro Argentina in Rome on Italian
• 1819 Ermione, 1819 Italian
• 1826 Adina, 1826 Teatro Nacional de São Carlos Italian
• 1826 Ivanhoé, 1826 Odéon Theatre Italian

Stylistic Position & Reception

Gioachino Rossini's position within the operatic canon has been shaped by performance tradition as much as by scholarly judgment. The works that survive in the active repertory of the major houses tend to be those that combine memorable vocal writing with dramatically effective situations · qualities that audiences continue to respond to from one generation to the next. Other works in the catalogue, less frequently performed, often reward closer study by singers, conductors, and dramaturges seeking to broaden the standard repertoire.

Modern scholarship on Gioachino Rossini has been substantially enriched by the publication of critical editions of the major scores, by the rediscovery of forgotten works and revisions, and by the steady documentation of performance history through recordings, theatre archives, and contemporary criticism. The biographical sketch above and the catalogue of works are compiled from public-domain reference sources, including the structured Wikidata layer and the corresponding English Wikipedia article.

Editorial Note

OperaPedia maintains its composer entries as living documents, revised whenever new editorial work justifies a change. If you encounter a factual error in the biographical material above or in the linked opera entries, please write to the editors using the contact details on our about page.