Méhul, Étienne Nicolas

Méhul, Étienne Nicolas (ātyen' nēkôlä' māül') [key], 1763–1817, French operatic composer of outstanding importance during the Revolutionary period. Méhul's masterpiece was the biblical opera Joseph (1807). His Euphrosine et Coradin (1790) and Stratonice (1792) were the first operas to be called opéras comiques—signifying at that time not that they contained humorous elements but that they employed spoken dialogue. He was highly original in his orchestration and harmony.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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