Refugee, Renegade or Recluse? Carafa à Paris

Carafa's complete expatriation to Paris was not without its hiccups. He had both his earlier image to preserve and assimilation problems - the latter much obscured by a Gallic assumption that he was merely a Rossinian clone (which idea remains firmly entrenched today though Rossini would have been the first to deny it!) Le Solitaire - even if stooping-to-conquer - with its confident repertoire of romantic propositions predates his great compatriot in many important respects

 

Pucitta in London "Esulta Brittannia"

His acolade to his country of refuge on the arrival of news of the final defeat and abdication of Napoleon

 

La sposa fedele proved a pivot opera in the career of Giovanni Pacini

In which he attempted the almost impossible (!) but which nonetheless furnished a blueprint for further evolution

 

Marco Visconti between belcanto and canbelto [Part 1] Nicola Vaccai and Errico Petrella

A famous novel fell into the hands of two celebrated composers with.disconcerting results. It was a parting of the ways for both and spelled out the way the winds were about to blow in the Verdian era.