From Paris to Rome

To obtain his ticket to Rome, a young musician had to write, isolated in a loge, a cantata on a set libretto. The aim was to demonstrate the extent of his abilities while avoiding offending the academic expectations of his judges. The latter would continue to evaluate him during his stay at the Villa Medici. However, the resident did not spend his time in Rome only on study: the composition of songs or piano pieces, written outside the regulatory requirements, opened up spaces of freedom and allowed him to maintain a link with Parisian publishers.