Michele Carafa was a student of Cherubini and formed a lifelong friendship with Rossini based on mutual admiration. Carafa established a career in Paris through his association with the Opéra Comique, which is where he presented his masterpiece Masaniello. Uniquely, Carafa was a descendant of characters in his own opera, which was based on real revolutionary events that took place in Naples in the 17th century. The result is a well-paced historical drama, closer to French operatic models with limited reliance on bel canto and the influence of Rossini.