s ▁last ▁opera ▁with ▁an ▁Italian ▁libre tto . ▁He ▁permitted ▁only ▁four ▁performances ▁of ▁the ▁piece , ▁int ending ▁to ▁reuse ▁the ▁best ▁of ▁the ▁music ▁in ▁a ▁less ▁e ph em eral ▁opera . ▁About ▁half ▁the ▁score ▁of ▁Le ▁comte ▁O ry ▁( 1 8 2 8 ) ▁is ▁from ▁the ▁earlier ▁work . ▁ ▁Col b ran ' s ▁enfor ced ▁ret irement ▁put ▁a ▁stra in ▁on ▁the ▁Ross in is ' ▁marriage , ▁leaving ▁her ▁un occup ied ▁while ▁he ▁continued ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁centre ▁of ▁musical ▁attention ▁and ▁constantly ▁in ▁demand . ▁ ▁She ▁con so led ▁herself ▁with ▁what ▁Serv ad io ▁describes ▁as ▁" a ▁new ▁pleasure ▁in ▁sho pping "; ▁for ▁Ross ini , ▁Paris ▁offered ▁contin ual ▁g our met ▁del ights , ▁as ▁his ▁increasing ly ▁rot und ▁shape ▁began ▁to ▁reflect . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁of ▁the ▁four ▁oper as ▁Ross ini ▁wrote ▁to ▁French ▁libre tt os ▁were ▁Le ▁siège ▁de ▁Cor int he ▁( 1 8 2 6 ) ▁and ▁Mo ï se ▁et ▁Ph ara on ▁( 1 8 2 7 ). ▁Both ▁were ▁substantial ▁re work ings ▁of ▁pieces ▁written ▁for ▁Nap les : ▁Ma omet to ▁II ▁and ▁Mos è ▁in ▁E git to . ▁Ross ini ▁took ▁great ▁care ▁before ▁beginning ▁work ▁on ▁the ▁first , ▁learning ▁to ▁speak ▁French ▁and ▁familiar ising ▁himself ▁with ▁traditional ▁French ▁oper atic ▁ways ▁of ▁decla im ing ▁the ▁language . ▁As ▁well ▁as ▁dro pping ▁some ▁of