Verdi's I Lombardi alla prima crociata (1843) is one of his least known operas, offering effective choral scenes and a wealth of catchy melodies. Moreover, in 1847 the composer considered I Lombardi worthy to rework it for Paris into a Grand Opéra according to French taste, which was even translated back into Italian because of it's great success. The 'Lombards', written immediately after Nabucco, now live a shadowy existence even among Verdi's early operas. Marcus Bosch once again offers us the opportunity to revise many prejudices against Verdi's early works.