During his short reign the Emperor Paul had not contributed to the advancement of music, but in spite of somewhat unfavourable conditions, an Italian opera company under the management of Astarito[11] visited St. Petersburg in 1797. Among their number was a talented young Italian, Catterino Cavos, whose name is inseparably connected with the musical history of Russia. Born at Venice in 1776, the son of the musical director of the celebrated "Fenice" Theatre, it is said that at fourteen Cavos was the chosen candidate for the post of organist of St. Mark's Cathedral, but relinquished his chance in favour of a poor musician. The story is in accordance with what we read of his magnanimity in later life. His gifts were remarkable, and in 1799 he was appointed Court Capellmeister. In 1803 he became conductor of the Italian, Russian and French opera companies. Part of his duties consisted in composing for all three institutions. Light opera and ballet, given by the French company, was then all the fashion in St. Petersburg. Cavos quickly realised the direction and scope of the public taste, and soon began to write operas to romantic and legendary subjects borrowed from Russian history and folk-lore, and endeavoured to give his music a decided touch of national colour. In May, 1804, he made an immense success with his _Roussalka of the Dneiper_, in which he had the co-operation of Davidov. The following year he dispensed with all assistance and produced a four-act opera to a Russian text called _The Invisible Prince_, which found great favour with the public. Henceforth, through over thirty years of unresting creative activity, Cavos continued to work this popular vein. His operas have practically all sunk into oblivion, but the catalogue of their titles is still of some interest to students of Russian opera, because several of his subjects have since been treated and re-vitalised by a more recent generation of native composers. His chief works, given chronologically, are as follows: _Ilya the Hero_, the libretto by Krilov (1806); _The Three Hunchback Brothers_ (1808); _The Cossack Poet_ (1812); _The Peasants, or the Unexpected Meeting_ (1814); _Ivan Sousanin_ (1815); _The Ruins of Babylon_ (1818); _Dobrinya Nikitich_ (1810); and _The Bird of Fire_ (1822)--the last two in co-operation with Antonolini; _Svietlana_, text by Joukovsky (1822); _The Youth of Joan III._ (1822); _The Mountains of Piedmont, or The Devil's Bridge_ (1825); _Miroslava, or the Funeral Pyre_ (1827).