Giacomo Meyerbeer
In 1816 Meyerbeer went to Italy.  He wanted to learn about Italian opera and collect Italian folksongs.  While he intended at first to stay only three months, he stayed most of the next nine years.  He made some trips back to Germany and Austria during this time.  He composed several operas which became very popular.  People started to compare him with the famous Rossini.  However, in Germany people were not interested in his music.  He took his opera Il crociato in Egitto  to  London and then to Paris, where it was a success.  The opera is remembered now for being the last opera ever to have a part for a castrato singer.