▁his ▁mother ▁a ▁singer ), ▁Ross ini ▁began ▁to ▁compose ▁by ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 2 ▁and ▁was ▁educated ▁at ▁music ▁school ▁in ▁Bolog na . ▁His ▁first ▁opera ▁was ▁performed ▁in ▁Ven ice ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 0 ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁ 1 8 ▁years ▁old . ▁In ▁ 1 8 1 5 ▁he ▁was ▁engaged ▁to ▁write ▁oper as ▁and ▁manage ▁the at res ▁in ▁Nap les . ▁In ▁the ▁period ▁ 1 8 1 0 – 1 8 2 3 ▁he ▁wrote ▁ 3 4 ▁oper as ▁for ▁the ▁Italian ▁stage ▁that ▁were ▁performed ▁in ▁Ven ice , ▁Milan , ▁Ferr ara , ▁Nap les ▁and ▁elsewhere ; ▁this ▁product ivity ▁necess itated ▁an ▁almost ▁formula ic ▁approach ▁for ▁some ▁components ▁( such ▁as ▁over t ures ) ▁and ▁a ▁certain ▁amount ▁of ▁self - bor row ing . ▁ ▁During ▁this ▁period ▁he ▁produced ▁his ▁most ▁popular ▁works ▁including ▁the ▁com ic ▁oper as ▁L ' ital iana ▁in ▁Al ger i , ▁Il ▁bar bi ere ▁di ▁S iv iglia ▁( known ▁in ▁English ▁as ▁The ▁Bar ber ▁of ▁Se ville ) ▁and ▁La ▁C ener ent ola , ▁which ▁brought ▁to ▁a ▁peak ▁the ▁opera ▁buff a ▁tradition ▁he ▁inherited ▁from ▁master s ▁such ▁as ▁D omen ico ▁C imar osa . ▁He ▁also ▁composed ▁opera ▁seria ▁works ▁such ▁as ▁Ot ello , ▁Tan cre di ▁and ▁Sem ir am ide . ▁All ▁of ▁these ▁attract ed ▁adm iration ▁for ▁their ▁innov ation ▁in ▁mel