▁im pressed ▁by ▁this ▁action ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁abandoned ▁his ▁attempt ▁to ▁conquer ▁Rome . ▁The ▁opera ▁ends ▁with ▁the ▁return ▁of ▁the ▁vict orious ▁Public ola , ▁bringing ▁back ▁Hor ati us ' ▁son ▁among ▁the ▁other ▁fre ed ▁capt ives . ▁ ▁Music ▁According ▁to ▁Ar na ult , ▁Mé h ul ▁described ▁the ▁aust ere ▁style ▁of ▁Hor ati us ▁C oc lès ▁as ▁" ir on ▁music ." ▁▁ ▁The ▁work ▁has ▁no ▁roles ▁for ▁female ▁solo ists , ▁a ▁feature ▁which ▁is ▁relatively ▁rare ▁in ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁opera ▁but ▁not ▁so ▁unusual ▁among ▁propag anda ▁works ▁of ▁the ▁French ▁Revolution ary ▁era . ▁Elizabeth ▁Bart let ▁comments ▁that ▁Mé h ul ▁" did ▁not ▁hes itate ▁to ▁find ▁a ▁musical ▁equivalent ▁for ▁' fr atern ité ' ▁[ i . e . ▁frat ern ity , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁chief ▁French ▁Revolution ary ▁virt ues ]. ▁In ▁Hor ati us ▁C oc lès ▁the ▁little ▁music ▁for ▁solo ists , ▁apart ▁from ▁rec itative ▁to ▁advance ▁the ▁plot , ▁is ▁for ▁the ▁most ▁part ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁du os ▁and ▁tri os , ▁not ▁sol os ." ▁The ▁D ▁major ▁over t ure , ▁which ▁has ▁been ▁described ▁as ▁Be eth ov ian , ▁was ▁a ▁favour ite ▁of ▁Thomas ▁Be ech am ▁and ▁pra ised ▁by ▁Cast il - B la ze ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁Mé h ul ' s ▁best . ▁ ▁Record ings ▁O vert ure ▁only : ▁Mé h ul ▁O vert