Legros, Joseph

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Legros, Joseph

Legros, Joseph, French tenor and composer; b. Monampteuil, Sept. 7, 1739; d. La Rochelle, Dec. 20, 1793. He was a choirboy in Laon, making made his debut at the Paris Opéra in 1764 as Titon in Mondonville’s Titon et l’Aurore. He subsequently created several roles in operas by Gluck, including Achilles in Iphigénie en Aulide (1774) and Pylades in Iphigénie en Tauride (1779); also sang in operas by Piccinni, Grétry, and others. He retired from the stage in 1783. He served as director of the Concert Spirituel (1777–90). Legros wrote several operas and a number of songs.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire