The Italian composer Gioachino Rossini is the main figure that inspires the essence of our Italian restaurant located in the heart of Plaza Real in Barcelona. Rossini earned his fame and a place in musical history as one of the greatest and most admired composers of comic opera in the 19th century. Around the world, he was also recognized as a simple man who adored the pleasures of life such as gastronomy, art, and his friendships. So much so that throughout his life, he cultivated a gourmet persona and was beloved by his peers for his kind-hearted nature and resilience. As a tribute, we’ve prepared this small post to explore the most notable moments in the artist’s life and share some of his funniest and most entertaining anecdotes. Let’s begin!
The Humble Beginnings of the Artist
Gioachino Rossini was born in 1792 in the Italian city of Pesaro into a low-income family. During his childhood, he frequented church choirs, where his melodious voice won him admiration from many people. Due to the child’s success, a local barber suggested an ambitious idea to his father to take advantage of his voice and turn him into an artist: Rossini was almost made into a “castrati”! This would have provided the family with a stable income and a secure future for their son. But thanks to his mother’s intervention, he was saved from this fate.
The Origin of Rossini's Passion
By the age of 14, Rossini began to stand out in the music world as a talented figure who eventually gravitated toward comic opera, revolutionizing the genre with new elements like bel canto and ballet numbers. One of the works Rossini composed in his youth was “The Barber of Seville,” a comic opera that initially did not receive much acceptance and even suffered a disastrous premiere due to a furious cat roaming the theater and interrupting the singers. However, over time, this work moved from a modest theater to the famous San Carlo Theater in Naples, and Rossini went on to compose over 30 operas that were distributed throughout Europe.
During this period, Rossini contributed to transforming opera with more romantic elements, alongside renowned composers like Verdi and Wagner. Rossini himself often compared artists’ works to the aroma of dishes and sauces in restaurants. On one occasion, the artist compared Wagner's music to a fish sauce, saying it had a strong taste but lacked substance; he later apologized for the joke.
His Passion for Gastronomy and Retirement
At the age of 37, Rossini decided to retire and dedicate himself to his greatest passion: food, becoming a respected gourmet. In fact, one of his most popular quotes is: “Appetite is the baton that directs the grand orchestra of our passions.”
There are even anecdotes from his friends claiming Rossini was deeply saddened when a truffled turkey fell overboard from a ship… or that the musician composed his operas while dining at restaurants.
Rossini's Musical Saturdays
Once he retired from music, Rossini began organizing a social activity every Saturday at his home. These were “Musical Saturdays,” high-quality dinners accompanied by live music, which became very popular among Parisian high society. Only a select number of guests were invited, including princes, writers, and statesmen. This was the perfect setting for Rossini to showcase his gastronomic artistry; his dedication to food was so great that he often created dishes for his guests, meticulously selecting each ingredient.
More than once, he clashed with his personal chef for testing unusual ingredient combinations. Many of these new dishes were named “à la Rossini,” such as:
- Tournedos à la Rossini
- Cannelloni à la Rossini
- Eggs à la Rossini
- Chicken à la Rossini
- Filet Mignon à la Rossini
- Rice à la Rossini
- Tagliatelle à la Rossini
There are surely countless more dishes “à la Rossini.”
At our Italian restaurant in Plaza Real, we’ve also embraced this essence. Every evening from 8 PM, you can enjoy live piano concerts while savoring our Italian dishes with a Mediterranean touch.
And to Conclude…
We leave you with one of Gioachino Rossini’s most popular anecdotes:
Before sitting down to eat, Rossini asked the musician Francisco Asenjo Barbieri if he wanted to see his collection of violins. He had some from Spain.
- “Spanish violins?” Barbieri asked. “From where?”
- “From Trevélez.” And he took him to the pantry. The violins were hams.