Félicien-César David

Félicien-César David (born April 13, 1810, Cadenet, France—died August 29, 1876, Saint-Germain-en-Laye) was a composer whose music opened the door for the Oriental exoticism that was to become a fixture in French Romantic music. David was choirmaster at the Saint-Sauveur Cathedral at Aix-en-Provence (1829) and in 1830 studied at the Paris Conservatory. The following year he joined the socialist brotherhood of the Saint-Simonians, becoming their main artistic figure and composing chants for their services. From...