Elixir of Love -- Timeline

Donizetti & The World Around Him

World Events

1789
Washington is inaugurated as the first President of the United States; the Bastille is stormed in Paris, initiating the French Revolution

1791
The first Ten Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, The Bill of Rights, are ratified

1793-95
Spain wars against revolutionary France, but is defeated and forced into alliance with France

1800
Napoleon conquers Spain and regains Louisiana territory

1803

Napoleon agrees to purchase of Louisiana Territory by U.S.

1808
Napoleon invades Spain and names his brother Joseph Bonaparte King of Spain 1815 Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon is defeated

1818
"Savannah" becomes the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean (26 days)

1825
First public steam railway opens in England

1833
Abolition of slavery in Britain

1845
Republic of Texas annexed to USA

1848
Discovery of gold in California

1861-1865
American Civil War

Donizetti's Life

1797
Gaetano Donizetti is born in Bergamo, Italy

1806
Begins studying at Palazzo della Misericordi

1815
Travels to Bologna to further his studies

1816
Writes his first opera, a one-act comedy

1818
Stages first opera Enrico di Borgogna

1820
Marianna Pezzoli-Grattaroli, a woman who believed in supporting promising young musicians, helps Donizetti avoid military service by paying for his exemption

1822
His first major success, Zoraida di Granata is performed in Rome, raising Donizetti from obscurity

1830
Composes Anna Bolena for Milan, marking the first of his international successes

1832
The Elixir of Love premieres in Milan

1834
Donizetti signs a contract to produce three operas in Naples

1835
Begins to suffer difficulties with censors over choice of storylines; composes Lucia di Lammermoor

1837 Donizetti's wife dies; to escape depression and censorship, he accepts an invitation to Paris by Gioacchino Rossini

1843
Composes comic masterpiece Don Pasquale

1846
Confined to a mental institution near Paris with violent headaches and depression

1848
Dies on April 8 in Bergamo, Italy

Musical Events

1786
The Marriage of Figaro premieres in Vienna

1791
The Magic Flute opens, Vienna. Mozart dies three months later at age of thirty-five

1801
German Ludwig van Beethoven composes "Moonlight Sonata" for piano

1809
Prolific composer Franz Joseph Haydn dies

1816
The metronome, an instrument used to measure exact tempo, is invented by Mälzel in Germany

1822
Accordion invented in Germany

1827
Beethoven dies

1833
Composer Johannes Brahms is born in Hamburg, Germany

1840
Russian composer Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky is born

1853
William Steinway begins making pianos in New York

1858
Birth of Italian composer Giacomo Puccini

1861
G. Schirmer, the oldest major American music publishing firm, is established in New York

1867
Johann Strauss the Younger composes the famous waltz, "The Blue Danube"

Donizetti & The World Around Him
World Events 1789 Washington is inaugurated as the first President of the United States; the Bastille is stormed in Paris, initiating the French Revolution 1791 The first Ten Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, The Bill of Rights, are ratified 1793-95 Spain wars against revolutionary France, but is defeated and forced into alliance with France 1800 Napoleon conquers Spain and regains Louisiana territory 1803 Napoleon agrees to purchase of Louisiana Territory by U.S. 1808 Napoleon invades Spain and names his brother Joseph Bonaparte King of Spain 1815 Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon is defeated 1818 "Savannah" becomes the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean (26 days) 1825 First public steam railway opens in England 1833 Abolition of slavery in Britain 1845 Republic of Texas annexed to USA 1848 Discovery of gold in California 1861-1865 American Civil War	Donizetti's Life 1797 Gaetano Donizetti is born in Bergamo, Italy 1806 Begins studying at Palazzo della Misericordi 1815 Travels to Bologna to further his studies 1816 Writes his first opera, a one-act comedy 1818 Stages first opera Enrico di Borgogna 1820 Marianna Pezzoli-Grattaroli, a woman who believed in supporting promising young musicians, helps Donizetti avoid military service by paying for his exemption 1822 His first major success, Zoraida di Granata is performed in Rome, raising Donizetti from obscurity 1830 Composes Anna Bolena for Milan, marking the first of his international successes 1832 The Elixir of Love premieres in Milan 1834 Donizetti signs a contract to produce three operas in Naples 1835 Begins to suffer difficulties with censors over choice of storylines; composes Lucia di Lammermoor 1837 Donizetti's wife dies; to escape depression and censorship, he accepts an invitation to Paris by Gioacchino Rossini 1843 Composes comic masterpiece Don Pasquale 1846 Confined to a mental institution near Paris with violent headaches and depression 1848 Dies on April 8 in Bergamo, Italy	Musical Events 1786 The Marriage of Figaro premieres in Vienna 1791 The Magic Flute opens, Vienna. Mozart dies three months later at age of thirty-five 1801 German Ludwig van Beethoven composes "Moonlight Sonata" for piano 1809 Prolific composer Franz Joseph Haydn dies 1816 The metronome, an instrument used to measure exact tempo, is invented by Mälzel in Germany 1822 Accordion invented in Germany 1827 Beethoven dies 1833 Composer Johannes Brahms is born in Hamburg, Germany 1840 Russian composer Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky is born 1853 William Steinway begins making pianos in New York 1858 Birth of Italian composer Giacomo Puccini 1861 G. Schirmer, the oldest major American music publishing firm, is established in New York 1867 Johann Strauss the Younger composes the famous waltz, "The Blue Danube"
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