GRETRY, grA'trV, ANDRE ERNEST MODESTE (1741-1813). A once celebrated French dramatic composer, born at Liege. His earliest musical ex perience was as a chorister in a local church, but, as it proved unsatisfactory, he was placed under private teachers. About this time he first heard an operatic performance, which strongly incited him to the study of harmony and counter point on his own account. He was, however, a poor student, and so impatient to create that at seventeen years of age he had produced six symphonies, and in 1759 wrote a mass which so interested an influential Church dignitary as to gain for its composer the means to study in Rome, where for five years he studied at the College de Liege. Here the same characteristics that had previously marred his educational prog ress prevented any real advancement in the broader field of musical art, and, following his own inclinations, he turned toward dramatic music, his first venture, an intermezzo, Le yen demmiatrice (1765), being well received. After staying in -Rome nine years, he went to Geneva on a fruitless mission to secure a libretto from Voltaire. Acting on the latter's advice, he made his way to Paris, where, after two years of hard ship, he succeeded in obtaining the patronage' of Count Creutz, the Swedish Minister, who se cured him Marmontel's Le Huron (1768), for which he wrote the music, and through which he rose to fame. Nearly everything he wrote sub
sequently was enthusiastically received, notwith standing a great many musical defects, and the overshadowing of his work by the greater genius of M6hul and Cherubini. Elleviou, the great tenor, did much to revive an interest in Crary, the composer's glowing melodies and strong dra matic expression giving a chance for the display of his magnificent voice. Eventually, the progress of the public taste in music caused his works to be neglected, and ultimately almost forgotten. He wrote about fifty operas and much dramatic music, piano sonatas, instrumental numbers, masses, and Church music generally, most of which were published, and enjoyed more or less popularity. He had but a superficial knowledge of the theory of music and the science of har mony. Breitkopf and Hartel commenced in 1883 a complete edition of his works. Consult: A. J. Gretry, Gretry en famille (Paris, 1815) ; Brunet, Notice biographique sur Gretry (Paris, 1884).