FRIENDS

Rossini and Meyerbeer were close friends—and apparently very happy to hype each other up.

At the Paris Opera, they sat together listening to *Roberto*. Rossini loved one passage so much he sprang up and told Meyerbeer:

“If you can write anything better than that, I’ll dance on my head!”

Meyerbeer didn’t miss a beat: “Then you’d better start practicing—I’ve just finished Act IV of *Les Huguenots*.”

Pure composer‑to‑composer trash talk. All affection.