Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 16.djvu/69

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LESUEUR


63


LINKOPING


very important for the history of the second French Empire. His article in the "Revue des Deux Mondes" (1 Dec, 1874) on the restoration of histori- cal monuments was a most original protest against the false tendencies which impelled \'iollet-le-Due and his disciples, under pretext of restoration, to rebuild the Gothic cathedral according to certain preconceived systems, instead of making the necessary repairs with conscientiousness and moderation. Leroy-Beaulieu's three volumes entitled "L'empire des tsars et les Russes" (1883-87) are an important work: the in- formation they contain with regard to the Russian religion and the various sects scattered throughout the Slavic empire wiU long retain its value. His work on Milutin gives a stirring account of the eman- cipation of the serfs under Alexander II. He is like- wise the author of detailed studies on the Liberal Catholics of France in the nineteenth centun,', and his book entitled "La papaute, le socialisme, et la d(5mo- cratie" was the first to welcome Leo XIII's Encycli- cal "Rerum Novarum". In principles he was op- po.sed to all such doctrines which he called doctrines of hate; in 1S97 he gave a conference against Antisemi- tism at the Institut CatholiQUe of Paris; in 1903, when the policy of anticlericahsm dealt a serious blow in the Levant to the religious influence of France and the protectorate of the missions he sounded an alarm in the "Revue des Deux Mondes".

Though much attached to all ideas of liberty, Leroy-Beaulieu did not share the blind enthusiasm of the Liberals of the first half of the nineteenth century for the principles of the Revolution; he was able to form a critical opinion of the liberalism and individual- ism which had proceeded from the Revolution, and his admiration for the Declaration of the Rights of Man did not prevent him from asserting in his book, "La revolution et le libcralisme", that "the idea of duty should be restored to its place beside that of right . In 1906 he became director of the Free School of Politi- cal Science, where he had long been teaching, and he retained this position till his death. He had belonged to the Acad(5mie des Sciences Morales since 1887.

Cbarmes in Revue des Deux Mondes (1 July, 1912); Fagniez in Kefurme sociate (Ifi .lulv, 1912): DE Quirielle in Rene hcbdoma- daire (13 July, 1912).

Georges Goyau.

Lesueur, Jean-Francois, composer, b. at Drucat- Ples.siel, near Abbeville, 15 Feb., 1760; d. at Paris 6 October, 1837. He came of an ancient and illu.s- trious family of Picardy, his greatuncle being the cele- brated painter, Eustache Lesueur. At seven he be- came a chorister at Abbeville. From 1774 to 1779 he studied music at the College of Amiens, then became music-master at the cathedral of Seez, and later ii-ssistant-master at the Church of the Holy Innocents at Paris, where he studied under Abb6 Roze. He was appointed music-master at Dijon in 1781, at Le Mans in 1782, at Tours in 1783, and at the Holy In- nocents, Paris, in 1784. In 1786 he competed for the musical directorship of Notre-Dame-de-Paris and re- ceived the appointment. Allowed by the chapter to install a complete orchestra, he at once proceeded to put in practice his novel ideas concerning sacred music. It was his aim to arouse devotion by an appeal to the imagination, and he so far carried out his theories as to preface one of his ma-sses with an operatic over- ture; this caused a stir in the musical world. In 1787 came an anonymous attack on his compositions and his methods, to which Le-sueur replied in a pamphlet entitled "Expos^ d'une musique imitative et particu- li6re S, chaque solennite" (Paris, 1787). At this period he became an abb<^, but never received Holy orders. The chapter of Notre-D.ame having reduced the orchestra because of the heavy expense, Lesueur was unable to produce his masses, and resigned his directorship in 1788. He withdrew to the country home of his friend M. Bochart de Charapigny, where


he remained four years, working on his compositions. In 1793 he produced a three-act opera, "La Cav- erne", at the Theatre Feydeau, Paris. Its success wa*i immediate and brilliant and it was followed at the same theatre by "Paul et Virginie" (13 Jan., 1794) and "Telemaque" (May, 1796), which latter had been accepted by the Royal Academy of Music. He was appointed professor in the Ecole de la Garde Nationale, 21 Nov., 1793, and an inspector of instruction at the Conservatoire de Musique from its foundation in 1795. On the rejection of two of his operas, "Ossian, ou les Bardes" and "La mort d' Adam" (which had been accepted by the Academy), in favour of Catel's "Semiramis", Lesueur published anonymously a pamphlet entitled "Projet d'un plan gcnijral de I'instruction musicale en France", in which he violently attacked not only the methods of instruction followed at the Conservatoire, but his rival Catel and Catel's patron, the director of the Con- servatoire. Lesueur's dismissal followed (23 Sept., 1802), and the cessation of his salarj' had brought him to the verge of extreme poverty w-hen he was ap- pointed mailre de chapdle to the First Consul. The musician was now free to produce his "Ossian"; its first performance (10 July, 1804) was a great success and inaugurated the new title of the theatre as Acad^mie Imperiale. He was rewarded with the Cross of the Legion of Honour. For the emjjeror's coronation he composed a mass and a Te Deum. He collaborated with Persuis in his "L'inauguration du temple de la victoire" (2 Jan., 1807) and "Le Triomphe de Trajan" (23 Oct., 1807). On 21 March, 1809, he produced "La mort d'Adam et son^ apoth- 6ose", which proved to be lacking in dramatic action. In 1813 Lesueur succeeded Gretry at the Institut, and in the following year was appointed superintendent and composer of the chapel of Louis XVTII, retaining this post until the suppres.sion of the chapel in 1830. On 1 Jan., 1818, he was appointed professor of com- position at the Conser\'atoire, his classes being large and numbering distingiiished members, of whom the following gained the prix de Rome: Bourgeois, Ermel, Paris, Guiraud, Berlioz, Provost, Ambroise Thomas, Elwart, Boulanger, Besozzi, Boisselot (who Isecame Lesueur's son-in-law), and Gounod. Lesueur wrote the Te Deum and other music for the coronation of Charles X at Reims (29 May, 1825) His other com- positions were: three oper:is which had been accepted by the Opera but were never performed in his lifetime, "Tyrh^e", "Artaxerse", and "Alexandre k Baby- lone"; a Christmas mass or oratorio (1826); a solemn mass for four voices, choir, and orchestra; two Passion oratorios (i;'29); "Rachel",! an oratorio; "Super flumina Babylonis" (1833); "Ruth et Booz", oratorio; a cantata for the marriage of the Emperor Napoleon I. He also wrote "Notice sur la Melop(?e, la Rhythmop6e, et les grandes caracterea de la musique ancienne" (Paris, 1793); and an unpub- lished treatise on the music of the Greeks. Lesueur had both originality and genius, and, while it is im- possible to rank him with Cherubini and M(5hul, it ia nevertheless true that the French school of the early nineteenth century is greatly indebted to his initiative and passion for his art.

Beblioz. Les musiricns (Paris, 1870), 59. 68; Cbodqcet in Did. of music and musicians (New York, 1900).

Blanche M. Kelly. Linkoping (Lincopia), Ancient See op (Lin- coPENsis), in Sweden, originally included Ost ergot- land, the Islands of Gotland and Oland, and Smaa- land. The district of Viirend in Smaaland was taken from Linkoping and formed into the Diocese of Vexio about 1160. From 990 to 1100 the Diocese of Skara embraced the whole country of the Goths (Gauthiod); it was then divided into those of Sk.ara and Link6])ing. The first three bishops of Linkdi)ing were Herbert, Richard, and Gisle (c. 11,38-48). Then