Gioachino Rossini most famously associated. A characteristic mannerism in Rossini's orchestral scoring is a long, steady building of sound over an ostinato figure, known as a "Rossini crescendo", which earned him the nickname of "Signor Crescendo". A few of Rossini's operas remained popular throughout his lifetime and continuously since his death; others were resurrected from semi-obscurity in the last half of the 20th century, during the so-called "Rossini Renaissance". Rossini himself correctly predicted that his "Barber of Seville" would continue to find favor with posterity, telling a friend:"One thing I believe I can assure you: that of my works, the second act
Conservatorio Statale di Musica "Gioachino Rossini" Oliveri in Pesaro. Amongst its past Directors are the composers Carlo Pedrotti, Pietro Mascagni, Riccardo Zandonai and Franco Alfano. Mascagni's opera "Zanetto" had its world premiere at the conservatory in 1896. In his will, Rossini left virtually his entire estate to Pesaro, his native city, for the establishment of a free music school there with the provision that the legacy would only come to the city upon the death of his widow, Olympe Pélissier. In 1869, the year following Rossini's death, the city set up the association which would eventually become the "Liceo musicale Rossini". Olympe Pélissier died in 1878.