Dalayrac, Nicolas

Dalayrac, Nicolas (13 June 1753, Muret; 27 November 1809, Paris), composer, made it clear quite early in his life that he was going to become a musician despite his father’s plans for him to pursue a legal career. His father objected so strenuously to his son’s insistence upon studying music that the boy had to climb onto the roof of his house to practice his violin. Realizing finally that he could not force Nicolas to study law, the elder Dalayrac found a place for his son with the guards of…