AUBER, DANIEL FRANCOIS ESPRIT French musical composer, the son of a Paris printseller, was born at Caen in Normandy. He learnt to play at an early age on several instruments, his first teacher being the Tirolean composer, I. A. Ladurner. Eventually he studied under Cherubini, and in 1813 made his debut as a composer with a one-act opera, the Se jour militaire, which was a failure. In 1822 began his long association with A. E. Scribe, who shared with him, as librettist, the success and growing popularity of his compositions. The opera Leicester, in which they first worked together (1823) showed evidences of the influence of Rossini. But in general his style was wholly indi vidual being marked by all the lightness and facility, sparkling vivacity, grace, elegance, and clear and piquant melody character istic of the French School. La Muette de Portici familiarly known as Masaniello (1828), became a European favourite, and its over ture, songs and choruses were everywhere heard. The duet, "Amour sacre de la patrie," was welcomed like a new "Marseil laise," and sung by Nourrit at Brussels in 1830, it became the sig nal for the revolution. Of Auber's remaining operas (about so in all) the more important are: Le Macon (182s), La Fiancee (1829), Fra Diavolo (1830), Lestocq (1834), Le Cheval de bronze (1835), L'Ambassadrice (1836), Le Domino noir (1837), Le Lac des fees (1839), Les Diamants de la couronne (1841), Haydee (1847), Marco Spada (1853), Manon Lescaut (1856), and La Fiancée du roi des Garbes (1864) .
In 1829 Auber was elected member of the Institute, in 183o he was named director of the court concerts, and in 1842, at the wish of Louis Phillippe, he succeeded Cherubini as director at the Con servatoire. Napoleon III. made Auber his Imperial Maitre de Chapelle in 1857. Auber's attractive manners, his witty sayings, and his ever-ready kindness won for him a secure place in the re spect and love of his fellow-citizens. He remained in his old home during the German siege of Paris, 1870-71, but the miseries of the Commune profoundly affected him and probably hastened his death.