ROSSI, GIACOMO ( b.1710 Italy; d. 1731 London, England)
When writing the libretto for Handel's Rinaldo, Giacomo Rossi, - like many a librettist before and since - worked up another man's idea.
The first Italian opera composed especially for London, Rinaldo was based on an English outline by Aaron Hill, manager of the Haymarket Theatre. His endeavour, so he said, was "to see the English Opera more splendid than her Mother, the Italian."
The idea was that Rossi would translate Hill's work into Italian and lick it into dramatic shape. What he was given was less of an opera than a publicity stunt. There were dances, magic, explosions, violence, a flock of live birds, and no less than three authentic, Italian castrati, ensuring satisfaction to all comers. There was hardly any characterisation.
To make matters worse, Rossi was under constant pressure from Handel, who wanted it all done yesterday. In the circumstances it hardly seems fair to blame him for the opera's fantastic plot, its unlikely characters and its utter lack of development. And he certainly can't be held responsible for the detrimental effect of the flock of live birds on the wigs of the first-night audience.
Still, his name is on it, and, presumably, he took the money. One can only hope that, having done so, he stood by the old theatre adage "never apologise, never explain". Though somehow one feels he didn't. In fact, he probably bored his colleagues to death in the nearest tavern, on the agonies of collaboration.
