Cesare Sterbini (1784 – 19 January 1831) was an Italian writer and librettist. Possessing a deep knowledge of classical and contemporary culture, philosophy, linguistics, he was fluent in Greek, Latin, Italian, French and German. He is best known as the

librettist A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major litu ...

for two operas by

Gioachino Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer who gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote many songs, some chamber music and piano pieces, and some sacred music. He set new standards ...

: ''

Torvaldo e Dorliska ''Torvaldo e Dorliska'' is an operatic dramma semiserio in two acts by Gioachino Rossini to an Italian libretto by Cesare Sterbini, based on the novel/memoir ' (1787–1790) by the revolutionary Jean-Baptiste Louvet de Couvrai, whose work was t ...

'' (1815) and ''

The Barber of Seville ''The Barber of Seville, or The Useless Precaution'' ( it, Il barbiere di Siviglia, ossia L'inutile precauzione ) is an ''opera buffa'' in two acts composed by Gioachino Rossini with an Italian libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was based ...

'' (1816). An official in the Pontifical Administration, he also set poetry to music as an amateur. He wrote the libretto to the opera '' Il Contraccambio'' to the music of

Giacomo Cordella Giacomo Cordella (Naples, 25 July 1786 – Naples, 8 May 1847) was an Italian composer. Biography Cordella studied in Naples with Fedele Fenaroli and Giovanni Paisiello. In 1804 he composed his first work, a cantata entitled ''La Vittoria dell' ...

in 1819, and the opera '' Isaura and Ricciardo'' to the music of

Francesco Basili Francesco Basili (31 January 1767 – 27 March 1850) was an Italian composer and conductor. The son of Andrea Basili, he was born in Loreto and died in Rome. References 1767 births 1850 deaths Italian classical composers Italian male ...

in 1820.Cesare Sterbini http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/cesare-sterbini_%28Dizionario-Biografico%29/ He died in Rome on 19 January 1831.

Libretti

*''Paolo e Virginia'', cantata, music by Vincenzo Migliorucci (1812) *''

'', dramma semiserio, music by

(1815). *''

'', opera buffa, music by Gioachino Rossini (1816). The libretto was also set to music by Costantino Dall'Argine (1868), Giuseppe Graffigna (1879) and Alberto Torazza (1924) *''Il credulo deluso'', dramma giocoso, music by Giovanni Tadolini (1817) *'' Il contraccambio'', dramma giocoso, music by

(1819). Set to music as ''La rappresaglia'' by Joseph Hartmann Stuntz (1819), Johann Nepomuk Poissl (1820), Francesco Cianciarelli (1822) and Saverio Mercadante (1829) *''Il gabbamondo'', dramma giocoso, music by

Pietro Generali Pietro Generali (born Mercandetti Generali; 23 October 1773 – 3 November 1832) was an Italian composer primarily of operas and vocal music. Generali was born in Masserano. He studied counterpoint with Giovanni Masi in Rome and spent a few ...

(1819) *'' Isaura e Ricciardo'', dramma per musica, music by

(1820)

Notes

1784 births 1831 deaths Writers from Rome Italian opera librettists 19th-century Italian writers Italian male dramatists and playwrights 19th-century Italian male writers {{Opera-bio-stub