RAMEAU, ra'tal, JEAN PHILIPPE (1653 171i-1). A famous French composer and 5rgani4, to whom is really due the foundation of the modern science of harmony. He was born of a musical family at Dijon. Ile studied the organ under Marchand in Paris and lweante organist at Lille and at Clermont. his theories of the rela tionship of sounds he published in 1721. tinder the title of Trait(' dc l'harnamii•, and in 1726 he Nourcau systimc dc ((Insigne th,'orique. The main points of his new harmonic theory were the reduction of all possible chords to a limited number of fundamental chords, rest ing upon an imaginary •fundamental bass,' which crux not the same as thorough or general hut a series of ricot tones which underlie the various chord-progressions. He employed the building up of chords in thirds. and made great use of inversions. These theories received the formal approval of the Academy in 1737, and had much to do with the development of theo retical music. His dramatic composition Sou, son, with a libretto by Voltaire, was rejected at the Opera on account of its biblical subject. His second attempt, Hippo/yte .1 ricie, obtained a hearing in 1733, bid, was not immediately suc cessful, and he was tempted to abandon dra nmtie composition. Ms next Ctrort, the opera
ballet Les I WIC'S Ila ill II ICS won public favor. Castor ct Pollux (17371 is usually con sidered his best work. Other operas followed in qnick succession ond held the French stage for a generation, besides winning for him from Louis NV. the title of C'Imrt composer, -specially cre ated for him. his other compositions include: Les talents lyriques (1739); Dardanus (1739); La prineesse de Zais (1748) ; Pygmalion (1748) ; Phitc'e (1749) ; Drtphiu' ct L'gle (1753) ; Zc'phirc (1757 ); Lcs surprises Ile rumour (1759) ; Lea P?thulins (1760). He wrote several books of compositions for the clavier which were reprinted in 1801. As devel opments of his operatic works for the stage he produced t ion ha rim on iq (1737) and th'monstrotion du prince de l'horthonic, and on the vogue which these operas enjoyed his chief title to fame rests, His services to music were acknowledged by the erection of a :tattle to hint in his native town in 1580. Consult Pougin, lea II en a, so ric et ses wurres (Paris, 1870).