AUDRAN, EDMOND (1842-1901), French musical corn poser, was born at Lyons. He made his first appearance as a dramatic composer at Marseille with L'Ours et le Pacha (1862), a musical version of one of Scribe's vaudevilles. Later he made various attempts to win fame as a writer of sacred music but eventually became known almost entirely as a composer of the lighter kinds of opera. His first Parisian success was made with Les Noces d'Olivette (1879), a work which speedily found its way to London and (as Olivette) ran for more than a year at the Strand theatre (188o-81).
Later works from his fluent pen which enjoyed exceptional favour included Le Grand Mogol (Marseille, 1876; Paris, 1884; London, as The Grand Mogul, 1884), La Mascotte (Paris, 188o; London, as The Mascotte, 1881), Gillette de Narbonne (Paris, 1882; London, as Gillette, 1883), La Cigale et la Fourmi (Paris, 1886; London, as La Cigale, 1890), Miss Helyett (Paris, 189o; London, as Miss Decima, 1891), La Poupee (Paris, 1896; London, 1897). Audran was one of the best of the successors of Offen bach. He had little of Offenbach's humour, but his music is dis tinguished by an elegance and a refinement of manner which lift it above the level of opera bouffe to the confines of genuine opera comique. He was a fertile if not a very original melodist, and his orchestration is full of variety, without being obtrusive or vulgar.