Monsigny, Pierre Alexandre

1729-1817

French dramatic composer; born at Fauquemberge, near St. Omer, in the province of Artois. He studied the violin with no thought of becoming a musician. In 1749, soon after his father's death, he obtained a clerkship in the offices of the Chamber of Accounts of the Clergy of France. Was later appointed maitre d'hotel to the Due d'Orleans and was enabled to help his family by the large salary he received. Inspired by hearing Pergolesi's Serva Padrona he studied harmony with Gianotti, doublebass in the Opera orchestra, who taught after Rameau's system. After five months' instruction, Monsigny wrote Les Aveux indiscrets, which was produced successfully at the Theatre de la Foire in 1759. For the same theatre he composed Le Maitre en droit; Le Cadi dupe, which attracted the librettist, Sedaine, with whom he afterward worked, writing On ne s'avise jamais de tout, to his libretto. This was his last opera produced at the Theatre de la Foire. He wrote from 1764 to 1777 for the Comedie Italienne. Although Felix, ou 1'enfant trouve, was exceedingly successful, it was his last opera. Whether from fear of a rivalry with Gretry or from fatigue, he never wrote again. As inspector-general of canals and maitre d'hotel to Due d'Orleans he had amassed a considerable fortune, which was swept away during the Revolution. In 1798 the societaires of the Opera Comique made up a subscription which yielded him an annuity of about five hundred dollars On the death of Puccini in 1800 he became inspector of instruction at the Conservatory of Music, but, feeling that his own very inadequate technical training had not rendered him competent to fill this position, he resigned in 1802. In 1813 he was appointed to Gretry's place in the Institut and in 1816 was decorated with the cross of the Legion of Honor. He died a year later in Paris. Owing to the meagre technical training he had received the orchestration for his operas was always poor, but his plays were full of melody and dramatic truth and were more natural and amusing than much of the work of his time. The best of them is Le Deserteur, performed in 1769; Le Cadi dupe is also notable for its animation and truly comic element. The other operas are L'ile sonnante; Le Roi et le Fermier; Le Faucon; Le Rendezvous bien employe; Rose et Colas; Aline, Reine de Golconde, and La belle Arsene.