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Le Sueur's Musical Aesthetics 617

ideal whose focal point was clearly dramatic expressive music, Le
Sueur was able to justify the interdependence of active vocal and
instrumental lines in a unified musical texture in which the orchestra
assumes new prominence. Five operas of his produced in this era
(1793-1809) embody a vital combination of recent operatic prac-
tice and independently achieved theoretical principles.3
From Le Sueur's voluminous output certain writings can be
chosen as the major statements of his position regarding the func-
tion of instrumental expressivity. Among the earliest documents are
a series of four separate essays published in Paris during the year
1787 which subsequently appeared in one volume entitled Expose
detailld d'une musique une, imitative, et particuliere a' chaque so-
lemnitd [sic].4 A later and more direct source of Le Sueur's ideas con-
cerning music for the stage is his publication of 1801 entitled Lettre
en rdponse & Guillard, sur l'opera de la Mort d'Adam, dont le tour
de mise arrive pour la troisieme fois au Thedtre des Arts; et sur
plusieurs points d'utilite relatifs aux arts et aux lettres.5 In addition,
a number of signed, autograph letters now in the Archives Nationales
in Paris provide a revealing insight into the composer's general
approach to a wide range of topics. The material also offers an ex-
planation of Le Sueur's pedagogical philosophy in his role as inspec-
tor and member of the Committee on Instruction of the Conserva-
toire National de Musique et de Declamation.
These varied documents show Le Sueur's abiding interest in
music expressive of particular sentiments and situations. They con-

3 Substantiation for the statements in this paragraph may be found in Ora Frish-
berg Saloman, "Aspects of 'Gluckian' Operatic Thought and Practice in France: The
Musico-Dramatic Vision of Le Sueur and La C6pede (1785-1809) in Relation to the
Aesthetic and Critical Tradition" (Ph.D. diss., Columbia University, 1970).
4The separate titles follow: Expose d'une musique une, imitative, et particuliBre
ii chaque solemnitd [sic]; oui l'on donne les principes gdndraux sur lesquels on l'dtablit,
et le plan d'une musique propre ci la fete de Noel. Essai par M. Le Sueur, Maitre de
Chapelle de l'tglise de Paris; Suite de l'essai sur la musique sacrde et imitative, oui l'on
donne le plan d'une musique propre a la fate de Pdques; Expose d'une musique une,
imitative, et propre & chaque solemnite'; oit l'on donne une dissertation sur ses eflets et
le plan d'une musique particulitre t la solemnite de la Pentecdte. Suite de l'essai .. ;
Expose d'une musique une, imitative, et particulibre t chaque solemnitd [sic]; oit
l'auteur, i la suite de ce qu'il a ddja public ' ce sujet, donne a ceux de ses el~ves qui se
destinent & composer la musique de nos temples, les priceptes qu'il leur a cru ndces-
saires pour mettre le plus de poesie, de peinture, et d'expression possible dans leurs
ouvrages. Il y donne aussi le plan d'une musique propre d la fete de l'Assomption.
Suite de l'essai . .. (cited hereafter as Expose . . . Suite de l'essai).
5 Paris, Brumaire an X [October-November, 1801].

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