 Graziani returned to the Théâtre-Italien for the 1854–1855 season to sing Manrico in Verdi's "Il trovatore", with the contralto Adelaide Borghi-Mamo as Azucena.Verdi, who was in Paris at the time working on the Opéra's production of "Les vêpres siciliennes", was somehow persuaded by the Italien's director Calzado to not only sanction the production, but to help supervise, without a fee.The performances, which introduced the opera to Paris beginning on 23 December 1854, were successful.