Auber, Daniel

FRANÇOIS ESPRIT, a celebrated French musical composer, and member of the Institute, B. at Caen, Jan. 29, 1784. In 1813 he produced his first opera, Le Sejour Militaire, which proved so unsucce ful as to dishearten its composer. In 1820 appeared an opera in 3 acts, entitled La Bergère Chatelaine, which was well received. In 1823 he became a ociated with M. Scribe, who thenceforward supplied A. with the lib rettos for some of his greatest works. On the 29th of Feb., 1828, his Muette de Portici (better known to the world at large as Masa niello ), was performed at the Grand Opera in Paris, with the words (libretto) by Scribe and G. Delavigne. It carried the public taste by storm, and at once took its place beside the greatest works of Ros sin i and Meyer beer. From this time forward the mustcal career of A. became one grand series of succe es. Having found the opera comique to be his proper forté, he devoted himself to that field of the musical drama, and brought out consecutively a multitude of operas, some of which have attained a world-wide popularity and reputation. We give at foot the names and dates of his principal works. Some of the incidental airs of A.'s repertory have had an influence far beyond the world of musical amateurs. The famous air Amour Sacré de la Patrie , sung by Nourrit, gave the signal at Bru els for the Belgian revolution of 1830. For 40 years, A. was the most popular composer of the French school, and almost to the very day of his death he re tained alike his vigor of mental genius and his physical strength. In 1861, 4. was appointed a grand officer of the Legion of Honor . As chief director of the Conserva toire de Musique , A. displayed all the verve and indefatigable activity of a man of 40, and during the year 1868 produced the score of a new opera, - a surprising feat for a man of so advanced an age. The music of A. is light and easy; graceful, and often marked by originality. He po e es all the movement and clearne of Ro ini, without, perhaps, all his subtilty and depth in the representation of pa ion. The following is a list of the principal works of A. , with the dates and places of their first performance. At the Grand Opera, Paris: La Muette de Portici (Masa niello), (1828); Le Dieu et la Bayadère (1830); Le Philtre (1831); Le Serment, or Les Faux Monnayeurs (1832); Gustave, or Le Bal Masqué (1833); Le Cheval de Bronze, ballet-opera (1857). -At the Opera Comique, Paris: La Neige (1823); Le Macon (1825); La Fiancée (1829); Fra Diavolo (1830); Lestocq (1834); Le Cheval de Bronze (three-act opera), (1835); L'Am ba a drice (1836); Le Domino Noir (1837); Les Diamants de la Couronne ("Crown Diamonds"), (1841); La Sirène (1844); Haydée (1847); and Le Premier Jour de Bonheur (1868). P.1871. Auberge', n. The French name for an inn, or tavern. Aubergine, n. The French name of the egg-plant, Solanum melongena .