“His contemporaries appreciated the fact that his vocal delivery was not forced and that his taste was less mannered than that of his predecessors. His pronunciation was perfect and his face pleasing, although he did not cut a graceful figure and his stage acting left something to be desired” writes Benoit Dratwicki, of the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles, which is a partner in this series... Legros sparked renewed interest among modern composers for the haute-contre voice. The first to write for him were La Borde, Trial and Berton. Then came Gossec (Alexis et Daphné) and Grétry (Céphale et Procris). In 1774, Gluck's arrival in Paris marked a turning point in Legros's career: he made a name for himself in Orphée et Eurydice, caused a sensation in Iphigénie en Aulide and Iphigénie en Tauride... The title roles in Amadis de Gaule by J. C. Bach and Piccinni's Atys were the last roles in which he shone. After Legros, the haute-contre voice gradually disappeared from the French operatic scene. His successor, Étienne Lainez, who possessed a powerful voice with a very resonant medium, proved incapable of taking over the older repertory, his voice being that of a true tenor.