LE SUEUR, JEAN FRANCOIS ( 1 760 1337). A French composer, horn at near Abbeville. As a child he was chorister at Abbe ville, and when fourteen was sent to college at Amiens. In 1779 he left there to become music master at the Seez Cathedral, and a little later went to Paris, where he was made assistant master at the Church of the Innocents. \\Iile there be received from the Raze his sole musical instruction. In 1751 he accepted the post of music-master at the Cathedral of Dijon. and from there went to Le (1783). and subsequently to Tours. In 1784 he returned to Paris. and two years later won in competition the musical directorship of Notre Dame. He inaugurated radical reforms, using a large or chestra, and even preluding a mass with an overture. Itis methods. although popular, aroused bitter opposition, and in 1788 he retired for four years to the country, where he devoted himself to composition. in 1793 he produced in Paris an opera, La Carcrne, followed the next year by Paul et l'irginie and Telemaque. Be was ap pointed inspector at the Conservatory (1795), but in 1802 lost his position owing to a bitter altercation over the rejection, by the Grand Opera, of two of his operas. in 1804 he obtained the highest musical honor in France, being chosen Paisiello's successor as maitre de Chapelle to Napoleon. Ilis two rejected operas, Les Hordes
and La- Mort d'Adam, were now produced; he succeeded Gretry at the Institut (1813) ; became superintendent „and composer of the chapel of King Louis XVIII., and in ISIS professor of composition at the Conservatory. lie died in Paris. Le Sueur was a brilliant teacher, and twelve of his pupils won the Prix de Rome. As a composer he ranked high, his principal charac teristics being a grand simplicity—a quality be queathed to his pupil Gounod—and the marvelous harmonic skill which his pupil and admirer Berlioz carried to its ultimate excellence. His hobby was ancient Greek music, and he wrote :Votive sur la inelopee, la rhythmopee ct les Brands caraetrres do musique ancienuc (Paris. 1793). NVith the exception of the operas already mentioned, his compositions were almost wholly sacred, and include the oratorios Deborah, Rachel. Ruth. ct Noemi, Ruth et Boa:; three 7'e Drums; Stabat Jiater; masses, etc. Consult: Stephen de la 3Iadeleine, Biographic de J. F. Le Sucur (Paris, 1841) : Fouque, Le ,Coeur comme predeeesseur de Berlioz (Paris, 1882).