Giovanni has always been hungry. Poverty and starvation were his reality for most of his life. Now, with the taste of fame and comfort in London, they are still what fuel him. His main motivation is to never go back to those hungry days. The pursuit of excellence in his craft is obsessive. His desire to cement himself in high society is unshakeable. His love of being loved is insatiable. His ability to balance all these things; questionable.
Ippolita Celetti
Of all the children of Ottaviu and Maria Celetti (born Castellano), it was Ippolita who inherited both talent and looks. Quick to rise to fame due to the jump start graciously provided by her parents’ careers, she managed to stay at the top thanks to talent and perseverance alone. Fifteen years later, if there is one thing that Ippolita cannot wrestle, that is the inevitable passage of time and the loathsome thought of her impending replacement, which is precisely why she has amassed a great retirement fund or, as she likes to call it, dowry, though she’d very much rather invest it in a smart business to ensure a comfortable rest of her life.
Lisette Berwald
The famed “Swedish nightingale” Lisette Berwald is a star soprano opera singer. She resides in London, and will do so for at least the next two seasons. Her performances at the Royal Italian Opera have been met with rave reviews and much acclaim by critics and laypeople alike. Born in Sweden, she was discovered for her extraordinary voice and has been a court singer in Sweden and Norway, followed by engagements in Berlin and Vienna, where she was mobbed by admirers and received by royals. Now in London, she has secured the most lucrative deal of her career – but fate is capricious and past struggles with vocal damage may (or may not) come back to haunt her.