Joseph Legros
Encyclopedia
Joseph Legros was a French singer and composer of the 18th century. He is best remembered for his association with the composer Christoph Willibald Gluck
. Legros sang the role of Orpheus
at the premiere of the 1774 version of Gluck's opera Orfeo ed Euridice
and is usually regarded as the most prominent haute-contres
of his generation, though his acting is reputed to have been mediocre.
Legros was born at Monampteuil
, Laon
. After initial training as a choirboy, when his voice broke Legros developed the voice of a haute-contre, a type of French high tenor
that was typically used for the heroic male lead in French opera
s of the period. Legros made his début at the Paris Opéra
in 1764 and became the leading haute-contre at the Opéra, a status he held until his retirement in 1783, caused in part by his increasing obesity.
Legros began his operatic career singing the principal roles in the tragédies lyriques of Jean-Philippe Rameau
. Later, he adapted to the new Italianate style and sang many of the main roles in Gluck's French operas, including Achilles in Iphigénie en Aulide
, Admetus in the 1776 revision of Alceste
, and Renaud in Armide
. In 1774 Gluck adapted the role of Orpheus in Orfeo ed Euridice
, a part originally sung by the castrato
Gaetano Guadagni
, for Legros to sing. In this revision, set to a French libretto and retitled Orphée et Eurydice, Gluck extended the range of the part of Orpheus to the higher E flat of the treble stave: the part demands a particularly high tessitura
and a large range. He also created roles in three operas by Niccolò Piccinni
, including the role of Pylades in the composer's Iphigénie en Tauride. His final role was the title role in Antonio Sacchini's
Renaud.
From 1777 Legros directed the Concert Spirituel
, where he promoted performances of the music of Haydn and Mozart. He collaborated with L.-B. Desormery to rewrite the second act of François Lupien Grenet's opéra-ballet
Le triomphe de l'harmonie. Their work was performed at the Opéra in 1775 under the title Hylas et Eglé. During this time he also composed an unperformed opera, Anacréon, and some songs. He died at La Rochelle
.
Christoph Willibald Gluck
Christoph Willibald Ritter von Gluck was an opera composer of the early classical period. After many years at the Habsburg court at Vienna, Gluck brought about the practical reform of opera's dramaturgical practices that many intellectuals had been campaigning for over the years...
. Legros sang the role of Orpheus
Orpheus
Orpheus was a legendary musician, poet, and prophet in ancient Greek religion and myth. The major stories about him are centered on his ability to charm all living things and even stones with his music; his attempt to retrieve his wife from the underworld; and his death at the hands of those who...
at the premiere of the 1774 version of Gluck's opera Orfeo ed Euridice
Orfeo ed Euridice
Orfeo ed Euridice is an opera composed by Christoph Willibald Gluck based on the myth of Orpheus, set to a libretto by Ranieri de' Calzabigi. It belongs to the genre of the azione teatrale, meaning an opera on a mythological subject with choruses and dancing...
and is usually regarded as the most prominent haute-contres
Haute-contre
The haute-contre is a rare type of high tenor voice, predominant in French Baroque and Classical opera until the latter part of the eighteenth century.-History:...
of his generation, though his acting is reputed to have been mediocre.
Legros was born at Monampteuil
Monampteuil
Monampteuil is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France....
, Laon
Laon
Laon is the capital city of the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-History:The hilly district of Laon, which rises a hundred metres above the otherwise flat Picardy plain, has always held strategic importance...
. After initial training as a choirboy, when his voice broke Legros developed the voice of a haute-contre, a type of French high tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
that was typically used for the heroic male lead in French opera
French Opera
French opera is one of Europe's most important operatic traditions, containing works by composers of the stature of Rameau, Berlioz, Bizet, Debussy, Poulenc and Olivier Messiaen...
s of the period. Legros made his début at the Paris Opéra
Académie Royale de Musique
The Salle Le Peletier was the home of the Paris Opera from 1821 until the building was destroyed by fire in 1873. The theatre was designed and constructed by the architect François Debret on the site of the former Hôtel de Choiseul...
in 1764 and became the leading haute-contre at the Opéra, a status he held until his retirement in 1783, caused in part by his increasing obesity.
Legros began his operatic career singing the principal roles in the tragédies lyriques of Jean-Philippe Rameau
Jean-Philippe Rameau
Jean-Philippe Rameau was one of the most important French composers and music theorists of the Baroque era. He replaced Jean-Baptiste Lully as the dominant composer of French opera and is also considered the leading French composer for the harpsichord of his time, alongside François...
. Later, he adapted to the new Italianate style and sang many of the main roles in Gluck's French operas, including Achilles in Iphigénie en Aulide
Iphigénie en Aulide
Iphigénie en Aulide is an opera in three acts by Christoph Willibald Gluck, the first work he wrote for the Paris stage. The libretto was written by Leblanc du Roullet and was based on Jean Racine's tragedy Iphigénie...
, Admetus in the 1776 revision of Alceste
Alceste (Gluck)
Alceste is an opera by Christoph Willibald Gluck from 1767. The libretto was written by Ranieri de' Calzabigi and based on the play Alcestis by Euripides. The premiere took place in Vienna.-Preface and reforms:...
, and Renaud in Armide
Armide (Gluck)
Armide is an opera by Christoph Willibald Gluck, his fifth for the Parisian stage and the composer's own favourite among his works. It was first performed in Paris at the Académie Royale on 23 September 1777....
. In 1774 Gluck adapted the role of Orpheus in Orfeo ed Euridice
Orfeo ed Euridice
Orfeo ed Euridice is an opera composed by Christoph Willibald Gluck based on the myth of Orpheus, set to a libretto by Ranieri de' Calzabigi. It belongs to the genre of the azione teatrale, meaning an opera on a mythological subject with choruses and dancing...
, a part originally sung by the castrato
Castrato
A castrato is a man with a singing voice equivalent to that of a soprano, mezzo-soprano, or contralto voice produced either by castration of the singer before puberty or one who, because of an endocrinological condition, never reaches sexual maturity.Castration before puberty prevents a boy's...
Gaetano Guadagni
Gaetano Guadagni
Gaetano Guadagni was an Italian mezzo-soprano castrato singer, most famous for singing the role of Orpheus at the premiere of Gluck's opera Orfeo ed Euridice in 1762.- Career :...
, for Legros to sing. In this revision, set to a French libretto and retitled Orphée et Eurydice, Gluck extended the range of the part of Orpheus to the higher E flat of the treble stave: the part demands a particularly high tessitura
Tessitura
In music, the term tessitura generally describes the most musically acceptable and comfortable range for a given singer or, less frequently, musical instrument; the range in which a given type of voice presents its best-sounding texture or timbre...
and a large range. He also created roles in three operas by Niccolò Piccinni
Niccolò Piccinni
Niccolò Piccinni was an Italian composer of symphonies, sacred music, chamber music, and opera. Although he is somewhat obscure, even to music lovers today, Piccinni was one of the most popular composers of opera—particularly the Neapolitan opera buffa—of his day...
, including the role of Pylades in the composer's Iphigénie en Tauride. His final role was the title role in Antonio Sacchini's
Antonio Sacchini
Antonio Maria Gasparo Sacchini was an Italian opera composer.Sacchini was born in Florence, but was raised in Naples, where he received his musical education at the San Onofrio conservatory. He wrote his first operas in Naples, thereafter moving to Venice, then London and eventually Paris, where...
Renaud.
From 1777 Legros directed the Concert Spirituel
Concert Spirituel
The Concert Spirituel was one of the first public concert series in existence. The concerts began in Paris in 1725 and ended in 1790; later, concerts or series of concerts of the same name occurred in Paris, Vienna, London and elsewhere...
, where he promoted performances of the music of Haydn and Mozart. He collaborated with L.-B. Desormery to rewrite the second act of François Lupien Grenet's opéra-ballet
Opéra-ballet
Opéra-ballet was a popular genre of French Baroque opera, "that grew out of the ballets à entrées of the early seventeeth century". It differed from the more elevated tragédie en musique as practised by Jean-Baptiste Lully in several ways...
Le triomphe de l'harmonie. Their work was performed at the Opéra in 1775 under the title Hylas et Eglé. During this time he also composed an unperformed opera, Anacréon, and some songs. He died at La Rochelle
La Rochelle
La Rochelle is a city in western France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department.The city is connected to the Île de Ré by a bridge completed on 19 May 1988...
.