French music world—becoming
responsible for all phases of its
FRANÇOIS FRANCŒUR
(8 September 1698 – 5 August 1787)
Francœur was born in Paris, the son
of Joseph Francœur, a basse de
violon player and member of the 24
violons du roy. He was instructed in
music by his father and joined
the Académie Royale de Musique  as a
violinist at age 15. After travel and
performances in the principal
European culture centres, he
returned to Paris as a member of
the Concert Spirituel. Francœur was
appointed to the 24 violons du roy in
1730 and Maître de musiqueto the
Opera in 1739.
In 1744, he and François Rebel, his
lifelong colleague and friend, were
appointed inspecteurs musicaux of
the Paris Opéra—centre of the
management in 1757. They faced
numerous challenges in their joint
roles, such as large financial deficit,
lack of discipline, as well as handling
contentious disagreements between
traditionalists known as the Querelle
des Bouffons.
King Louis XV appointed Francœur as
his Music Master in 1760, ennobling
Rebel in the same year and Francœur
himself in May 1764. Disaster struck
when the Paris Opéra was consumed
in flames on 6 April 1763, and the two
directors were forced to resign in
1767 in its aftermath. However, Louis
XV asked Rebel to return to the
Opéra as Administrateur général in
1772, a position he held until shortly
before his death three years later.
Francœur resigned himself from the
music world, living in retirement until
his own death in 1787 at age 89. He
was thus spared the fate of his
nephew, Louis-Joseph Francœur,
Master of the King's Chamber music
and orchestra director, who was
imprisoned during the French
Revolution until the fall
of Robespierre in 1794.