One of the most beloved classical overtures ever composed is this Overture to An Italian in Algiers by Gioacchino Rossini. Written in 1813, along with The Barber of Seville (1816) and La Cenerentola (1817), these operas form the pinnacle of the opera buffa (comic opera) genre. It was completed when Rossini was only 21 years old, and there are claims that it took him only 18 days to compose the entire opera (although some sources indicate it took 27 days). An incredible feat either way, it was pr...