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DonizettiGaetano Donizetti, the composer of more than seventy operas, was famously prolific. He was once asked whether it was true that Rossini had composed the Barber of Seville in two weeks. "Oh, I quite believe it," he replied. "He has always been such a lazy fellow!"
[Donizetti was once approached by a desperate Milanese theater manager who needed a new opera in two weeks. Given the urgency, he suggested that Donizetti revamp another man's work. "Are you making fun of me?" he exclaimed. "I am not accustomed to patching up my own old operas, let alone another composer's. I'll give you a new opera in fourteen days. Now send me Felice Romani..." "I give you one week to prepare the text," he told the librettist. "It must be set to music in fourteen days. Let's see which of us has guts!" The result? L'Elisir d'amore.]
Donizetti, Gaetano (1797-1848) Italian composer [noted for his many
operas, including
Lucia di Lammermoor]
[Sources: Hallé, Life and Letters of Sir Charles Hallé; F. Alborghetti and M. Galli, Donizetti]More Gaetano Donizetti anecdotesRelated Anecdote Keywords:
Opera Composing Laziness Understatement Teasing Comparisons Speed Genius
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