French musician and composer (1682-1738) known as the 'musicien des grâces'. He moved to Paris in 1707 where the Duke of Maine appointed him superintendent of the music at Sceaux. In 1714 his first opera Les fêtes ou le triomphe de Thalie was performed at the Opéra de Paris to great acclaim. From then he held the post of director of the opera orchestra until 1718. He composed many pieces for the stage, both divertimenti and sacred and secular cantata. However, his fame and popularity waned after 1736 and he died in poverty.
