Michele Enrico Francesco Vincenzo Aloisio Paolo Carafa di Colobrano (17 November 1787 – 26 July 1872) was an Italian opera composer. He was born in Naples and studied in Paris with Luigi Cherubini. He was Professor of counterpoint at the Paris Conservatoire from 1840 to 1858. One of his notable pupils was Achille Peri. Life and work Michele Enrico was born the second son of Giovanni Carafa, prince of Colubrano and duke of Alvito, and princess Teresa Lembo. He was given a solid musical education. In 1802, he composed his first opera, Il Fantasma, which was staged at the theater of his father-in-law, prince of Caramanico, in 1805. He moved in 1806 to Paris, where he was taught composition by Luigi Cherubini and piano by Friedrich Kalkbrenner. However, pressured by his father to give up music for a military career, he became a lieutenant of the hussars in Napoleon's army. Taken prisoner in the Battle of Campo Tenese in 1806, he was freed and participated in the war against Sicily, where he became captain. Returning to Naples in 1808, he married Antoinette d'Aubenton (or Daubenton) and studied music under Fedele Fenaroli. Again pressured by his father, he followed Joachim Murat in the Russian campaign. After the Battle of Ostrovno, he was personally awarded the Legion of Honor by Napoleon himself and made a baron of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy. When the Bourbons were restored in Naples, the property of the Carafa family was confiscated and the military career of Michele Enrico was over, so he could finish his musical education. The Teatro del Fondo staged his Il Vascello d'occidente in 1814 and Gabriella di Vergy, written by Andrea Leone Tottola, in 1816. The latter was as popular as Otello by Rossini, staged the same year at the same theater. In fact, Rossini asked him to compose an aria for his opera Mosè in Egitto (1818). It was the Pharaoh's aria in the first act. However, Rossini would later rewrite the aria at the request of Ferdinand Hérold, who conducted the opera in Paris. Carafa's music is marked by a certain lightness of melody and mediocre orchestration, in a period dominated by Rossini, Bellini, Auber, Halévy, who were all his friends. Established as an opera composer, he returned to Paris in 1821, where he had success with Jeanne d'Arc à Orléans and Le Valet de Chambre in 1823. After Il