Comic opera had a real story that people liked; it had dramatic variety; and, musically, it had strong melodies and even strong supporting orchestral parts, including a strong "stand-alone" overture (i.e., you could even enjoy the overture as an independent orchestral piece). Verdi was also enthusiastic because the music was by a southern Italian and the text by a northerner, which appealed to Verdi's pan-Italian vision. The genre was developed further in the 19th century by Gioachino Rossini in his masterpieces such as "The Barber of Seville" (1816) and "La Cenerentola" (1817). French composers eagerly seized upon the Italian model and made
Gioachino Rossini Académie des Beaux-Arts. Prize-winning works were produced by the Société des Concerts, Institut de France, from 1885 to 1911. The bequest sought to reward composers of music which emphasized melody, which Rossini wrote "today is neglected" (""). The prize for librettists was to be given to writers who observed "the laws of morality, which the modern writers completely ignore" (""). The prizes were exclusively for French composers and librettists (""). Rossini was a foreign associate of the institute, Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour and recipient of innumerable orders. Immediately after Rossini's death, Giuseppe Verdi proposed to collaborate with