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
Norma (opera) engaged by La Scala for her debut during the following season. Bellini and Romani then began to consider the subject of the coming autumn's opera. By the summer, they had decided to base it on Alexandre Soumet's play which was being performed in Paris at around that time and which Pasta would have seen. For the forthcoming autumn/winter season, La Scala had engaged Giulia Grisi (the sister of Giuditta Grisi) and the well-known tenor Domenico Donzelli, who had made a name for himself with Rossini roles, especially that of Otello. They would fill the roles of Adalgisa and Pollione. Donzelli