Giovanni Battista Rubini facts for kids
Giovanni Battista Rubini (born April 7, 1794 – died March 3, 1854) was a very famous Italian tenor singer. A tenor is a male singer with a high voice. In his time, he was as well-known as Enrico Caruso was much later.
Rubini was amazing at singing very high notes with great skill and expression. This special way of singing is called coloratura dexterity. His voice could reach very high notes, inspiring composers to write opera parts that are now very hard for singers to perform. He was a key singer in the early Romantic style of bel canto opera. This style focused on beautiful singing and smooth, flowing melodies. Famous composers like Vincenzo Bellini and Gaetano Donizetti wrote music for him.
Rubini is remembered as an extraordinary bel canto singer. He was one of the most famous in Europe from the 1820s to the 1840s. He also made popular a singing style called vibrato. This is a slight, fast change in pitch that adds emotion to the singing. While his highest notes were exceptional, he could reach a "ringing" high F (F5) easily. This note is very difficult for most tenors today. However, some said his other voice parts were hard to hear. His tone was also described as "slightly veiled." He also found it hard to sing at medium-soft or medium-loud volumes. Despite this, people admired his joyful singing, great skill, and refined musical talent.
Rubini's Life and Career
Giovanni Battista Rubini was born in Romano di Lombardia, Italy. He started playing the violin at age twelve at the Teatro Riccardi in Bergamo. His first time singing on stage was in 1814. This was in Pavia in an opera called Le lagrime d'una vedova by Pietro Generali.
He spent ten years in Naples from 1815 to 1825. During this time, he also had great success in France in 1825 and 1826. He performed in operas by Gioachino Rossini. After this, he moved to Paris permanently. There, he sang in Rossini's famous operas like La Cenerentola, Otello, and La donna del lago. He often split his time between Paris (in autumn and winter) and London (in spring).
Rubini had a special connection with the composer Vincenzo Bellini. Their work together started with Bianca e Fernando in 1826. It continued until I puritani in 1835. For I puritani, Rubini was one of the four famous singers known as the "Puritani quartet." Bellini wrote the opera specifically for their voices. The other three amazing singers were Giulia Grisi, Antonio Tamburini, and Luigi Lablache. These four singers performed together again in Gaetano Donizetti's opera Marino Faliero in the same season. Then, they traveled to London with the Irish composer Michael William Balfe for more opera shows.
Rubini became an honorary member of the Accademia Filarmonica di Bologna. He retired in 1845 with a very large fortune. He passed away in his hometown of Romano in 1854. He is buried there in the cemetery, under a large marble monument.
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See also
In Spanish: Giovanni Battista Rubini para niños
