Lesueur, Jean François

Lesueur or Le Sueur, Jean François

(zhäN fräNswä`), 1760–1837, French composer. During the French Revolution his operas, such as La Caverne (1793) and Paul et Virginie (1794), were highly popular and imitated; their violence and sensationalism reflected the spirit of the time. His many distinguished composition students included Ambroise Thomas, Gounod, and Berlioz.