[66] Although Weber was born before Rossini (1786) and his period is synchronous with the present chapter, it has been thought best, because of his close connection with the romantic movement in Germany, to treat him in the next chapter.

[67] Two measures in the tonic, repeated in the dominant, the whole gone over three times with increasing dynamic emphasis, constituted the famous Rossini crescendo.

[68] The recitatives sung by the character of Christ in Bach’s St. Matthew Passion are so accompanied. Bach likewise wrote out the vocal ornaments of all his arias.

[69] Nicolo Isouard is a typical character of the time. He was born on the island of Malta, educated in Paris, showing unusual ability as a pianist, prepared for the navy and established in trade in Naples. Finally against his father’s wishes he became a composer. To spare his family disgrace he wrote under the name of Nicolo. He died in Paris in 1818.

[70] Gaetano Rossi (1780-1855), an Italian librettist, quite as prolific as Scribe and as popular as a text-writer among his own countrymen as the latter was in Paris, wrote the book of Semiramide. Among his texts were: Donizetti’s Linda di Chamounix and Maria Padilla; Guecco’s La prova d’un opera seria; Mercadante’s Il Giuramento; Rossini’s Tancredi; and Meyerbeer’s Crociato in Egitto.

[71] Eugène Scribe (1791-1861) was the librettist de mode of the period. Aside from his novels he wrote over a hundred libretti, including Meyerbeer’s Robert, Les Huguenots, Le Prophète, and L’Africaine; Auber’s La Muette, Fra Diavolo, Le domino noir, Les diamants de la couronne; Halévy’s La Juive and Manon Lescault; Boieldieu’s Dame blanche; and Verdi’s Les vêpres siciliennes.

[72] Born, Rouen, 1775; died, near Paris, 1834.

[73] When only a boy of eleven he composed pretty airs which the décolletées nymphs of the Directory sang between waltzes at the soirées given by Barras, and he survived the fall of the Second Empire. Les pantins de Violette, a charming little score, was given at the Bouffes four days before he died.