Isabella Colbran - Colbran in Bologna

Colbran in Bologna

The artistic collaboration between Colbran and Rossini that began in 1815 was accompanied by a romantic involvement. Colbran moved with Rossini, seven years her junior, to Bologna in 1822, where they married. The death of her father hit Colbran hard. Rossini, moved, commissioned a sculpture for the family mausoleum depicting a woman weeping at the foot of her father's sepulchre.

The couple visited Vienna and later Venice, where Rossini composed Semiramide. Isabella created the title role, and even though the opera itself proved to be tremendously successful and was specifically designed to disguise her waning talents, she nonetheless disappointed the public. A visit to London in 1824 for a performance in the role commanded a high fee but received a poor critical response. She retired from singing by age 42. Though Rossini wrote more operas before his own retirement from operatic composition in 1829 (including Il viaggio a Reims, Le comte Ory, and William Tell), no more were composed for Isabella.

Colbran and Rossini separated in 1837 as the composer began a serious relationship with the artists' model Olympe Pélissier in Paris. Colbran's health went into decline, perhaps as a result of contracting gonorrhea. She continued to live on her deceased father's estate in Castenaso near Bologna. As her gambling habit became more acute, she sold off parts of the estate but Rossini continued to send support.

Colbran died in 1845 at age 60. She was buried near Bologna alongside her parents and Rossini's. Rossini married Pélissier the following year. All his life Rossini credited Isabella Colbran as being the greatest interpreter of his music. .