About the book: 1998 / The great Italian composer Gioachino Rossini opened a new century in opera, becoming the first among the giants of Italian music - Donizetti, Bellini, Verdi, Puccini. Book by Arnaldo Fraccaroli written on the basis of extensive documentary material, lively and popular. Without hiding the contradictions in the composer’s character and work, the writer shows the great musician in full gigantic stature, revealing the significance of his work for world music.