Cesare Sterbini facts for kids
Cesare Sterbini (born in 1784 – died on January 19, 1831) was an Italian writer. He is most famous for writing the words, called a libretto, for operas.
Cesare Sterbini was very smart and knew a lot about old and new cultures. He was good at many languages, including Greek, Latin, Italian, French, and German. He is best known for writing the librettos for two famous operas by Gioachino Rossini: Torvaldo e Dorliska (from 1815) and The Barber of Seville (from 1816). He also worked for the church administration in Rome. Besides his job, he enjoyed putting poems to music as a hobby. He wrote the libretto for the opera Il Contraccambio in 1819 and Isaura and Ricciardo in 1820. Cesare Sterbini passed away in Rome in 1831.
Contents
What is a Libretto?
A libretto is like the script for an opera. It contains all the words that the singers perform. Cesare Sterbini was a master at writing these stories and dialogues. His words helped bring the music of famous composers to life on stage.
Famous Operas with Sterbini's Words
Cesare Sterbini wrote the words for many operas. His most famous work is for The Barber of Seville. This opera is still very popular today.
The Barber of Seville
The Barber of Seville is a funny opera, known as an opera buffa. Cesare Sterbini wrote the libretto, and Gioachino Rossini wrote the music. It tells the story of a clever barber named Figaro. He helps a young count win the heart of a beautiful girl. The opera is full of mistaken identities and hilarious situations. It premiered in 1816 and quickly became a favorite.
Other Important Works
Sterbini also wrote librettos for other operas. These include:
- Torvaldo e Dorliska (1815), another opera with music by Rossini.
- Il credulo deluso (1817), with music by Giovanni Tadolini.
- Il contraccambio (1819), with music by Giacomo Cordella. This libretto was also used by other composers later.
- Il gabbamondo (1819), with music by Pietro Generali.
- Isaura e Ricciardo (1820), with music by Francesco Basili.
