People came from half of Europe to take part in the coronation celebrations for Charles X in Reims. In a hotel in the French provinces, an Englishman, a Pole, a Spaniard, a German, an Italian, a Frenchman and, last but not least, a Tyrolean impatiently await their onward journey. Not only do national peculiarities clash here, but amorous affairs and vain animosities unfold and everyone is always on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

That Gioacchino Rossini is a true master of musical comic theatre is also proven in this opera composed in 1825, which he actually composed for the coronation of Charles X. According to Rossini biographer Richard Osborne, this opera is "one of the craziest and most exciting pieces of entertainment ever to emerge from the pen of an opera composer." Musically, the work also occupies a unique position. Rossini composed it for the ten best singers of his time, who could show off their vocal virtuosity here. The trip to Reims offers true bel canto fireworks and the template for highly amusing European encounters.