Giuseppina Ronzi de Begnis and her husband moved to Paris where they sang for the re-opening of the Théâtre Italien in the Parisian premiere of Ferdinando Paër's dramma semi-serio "I Fuoriusciti di Firenze" on 20 March. The opera received a good review in "Le Moniteur Universel", and the "Journal de Paris" praised Giuseppe for his Uberto and Giuseppina for her Isabella. In the meantime Rossini had been informed that the de Begnises had been secured for "La gazza ladra". The prospects were encouraging and on 5 May the couple sang in Pietro Alessandro Guglielmi's "La pastorella nobile". Positive reviews greeted the couple during the
La straniera new style and its restless harmonic shifts into remote keys did not please all. 45 years later it was stated that "Bellini's style was abstruse, discontinuous, distorted, and lacking in distinction, that it alternated among the "serio" and the "buffo" and the "semi-serio"." 19th century performances The opera was first performed at La Scala, Milan on 14 February 1829, with Henriette Méric-Lalande and Domenico Reina in the leading roles. Alessandro Sanquirico, the well-established set designer of the time, designed the sets, and the opera was presented on a triple bill, along with the ballets "Buondelmonte" and "L'avviso ai maritati". Within