(b Aix-en-Provence, bap. 4 Dec 1660; d Versailles, 29 June 1744). French composer. He became a chaplain at Aix, then maître de chapelle at Arles (1681-3) and maître de musique at Toulouse (1683-94). Moving to Paris in 1694, he was maître de musique at Notre Dame Cathedral until 1700. Besides sacred music, he wrote for the Opéra, and with L′Europe galante (1697) created a popular new genre, the opéra-ballet. He became a ‘conducteur’ there in 1700, continuing to compose successful stage works until the 1730s. Louis XV granted him a pension in 1718; in 1722 he became music director to the Prince of Conti (for whom he wrote divertissements).
Campra's four opéras-ballets, notably Les fêtes vénitiennes (1710), show his musical style at its best, with strong, expressive characterization and imaginative dances. His ten tragédies lyriques, such as Tancrède (1702), have pictorial and dramatic effects which influenced Rameau. He expanded Lully's idiom with more orchestral and harmonic colour, Italianate melodic detail, concerto-like rhythms and da capo aria forms. Italian ideas also appear in his solo cantatas (three books, 1708-28), some of his motets (five books, 1695-1720) and other sacred works.
Campra's brother Joseph (1662-1744) played in the Opéra orchestra and later at Dijon, where two of his divertissements were staged; he also composed airs.
