The opera had its world premiere on 24 February 2003 at the Opéra Bastille, conducted by James Conlon.
The enigmatic protagonist, Perelà, is literally a man made of smoke, formed over thirty-three years in the chimney of a fireplace tended by three old women, Pena, Rete, and Lama.
So much so, that the Queen and the king's minister ask him to devise a new legal code for their society, and a noblewoman who had previously sworn off men, Marchesa Oliva di Bellonda, falls in love with him.
The old valet, Alloro, sets himself on fire hoping to emulate the lightness of Perelà.
After singing a final oration, Perelà escapes by removing his boots and floating out through the chimney of his cell to become a moving form in the sky.