The few times Rossini spoke about his retirement, he was straightforward. He and his work were less welcome in Paris in the 1830s. He wanted to be in Italy with his aging, widowed father. He was sick and tired.

What did Rossini do after he retired from composing?

He stopped composing operas but still wrote shorter musical works such as songs and piano pieces. Even after retirement he continued to mentor emerging young composers, including Verdi who greatly admired Rossini's work.

When did Rossini stop writing operas?

In Rossini's day, the opening of a new opera was as exciting as the opening of a new movie is for us. Rossini wrote his first opera when he was 18 years old. His most famous opera is The Barber of Seville. And after composing the opera William Tell in 1829, when he was 37, Rossini stopped writing operas.