Rossini himself had come to Paris by 1 August 1824 and became director of the Théâtre-Italien on 1 December 1824. He revived eight of his earlier works, including "Il barbiere di Siviglia" and "Tancredi". His last Italian opera, "Il viaggio a Reims", was premiered by the company on 19 June 1825 but was not a success. He also produced the first opera by Giacomo Meyerbeer to be performed in Paris, "Il crociato in Egitto", on 25 September 1825. On 12 November 1825 the company moved from the Salle Louvois to the refurbished first Salle Favart, where Rossini staged "Semiramide" (18 December 1825) and "Zelmira" (14 March 1826). Under Rossini the troupe's singers included Giuditta Pasta, Laure Cinti-Damoreau, Ester Mombelli, Nicolas Levasseur, Carlo Zucchelli, Domenico Donzelli, Felice Pellegrini, and Vincenzo Graziani. Paer resumed the directorship in November 1826, and Rossini's attention turned to creating French operas at the Opéra. The Théâtre-Italien's association with the Opéra only lasted until October 1827, when it regained its independence from the crown and lost the appellation "Royal". Paër was replaced as director by Émile Laurent on 2 October. Rossini continued to help the Théâtre-Italien to recruit singers, including Maria Malibran, Henriette Sontag, Benedetta Rosmunda Pisaroni, Filippo Galli, Luigi Lablache, Antonio Tamburini, Giovanni Battista Rubini and Giulia Grisi, and to commission operas, including Bellini's "I puritani" (25 January 1835 at the first Salle Favart), Donizetti's "Marino Faliero" (12 March 1835 at the first Salle Favart), and Saverio Mercadante's "I briganti" (22 March 1836).