A ticket to Rome

To enjoy the privilege of staying at the French Academy in Rome (Villa Medici), composers were secluded in a room and subjected to the terrible test of writing a cantata on an imposed text. The theme was generally drawn from ancient mythology or medieval legends and featured three characters. Although the texts sometimes seem conventional and stereotypical, the candidates’ art lay in their ability to highlight the different scenes and demonstrate their skills while asserting a singular personality. In short: one had to prove one had the mettle of a true opera composer.