Giovanni Pacini (M / Italy, 1796-1867), composer

Giovanni Pacini (1796-1867) was an Italian composer. Pacini composed two operas and an oratorio dealing with Jewish and Christian origins, all of them with a first-century Jewish setting "in the times of Vespasian". Pacini was also the composer of another highly successful opera with a first-century setting, L’ultimo giorno di Pompei <The Last Day of Pompeii> (1825). This opera did not make any reference to Judaism or Christianity, but suggested to Edward Bulwer Lytton that the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE could also provide a climactic and providential setting to a “Christian” story. The Last Days of Pompeii (1834 Lytton), novel would become one of the first literary bestsellers on Second Temple Judaism and Christian Origins.