CHAPTER IX.

SOME LESSER STARS IN THE OPERATIC FIRMAMENT.

(_c_) THE FRENCH SCHOOL (RAMEAU TO AMBROISE THOMAS).

Rameau—Divergence of methods—The successors of Gluck and Piccinni—Méhul—Cherubini and Spontini—Meyerbeer—Auber—Gounod—Bizet—Reasons for the popularity of _Faust_ and _Carmen_—Offenbach—Délibes and Lalo—Thomas 81