The most brilliant singers and the most famous virtuosi appeared at these "evenings." The master was surrounded by sycophants, but they did not influence him, for he knew their true worth.

He ruled his regular following with the hauteur of a superior being who does not deign to reveal himself to the first comer.

It is a question how he came to be held in such honor.
His works, outside of the _Barbier_ and _Guillaume Tell_, and some performances of _Moise_, belonged to the past.

They still went to see _Otello_ at the Theatre-Italien, but that was to hear Tamberlick's C diesis.

Rossini was under so little illusion that he tried to oppose the effort to have _Semiramide_ put into the repertoire at the Opera.