Charles-Louis-Joseph Hanssens

Back in Ghent, he directed the Theatre of Rhetoric, then followed Mademoiselle Fleury's troupe to Holland.

In 1826, he was one of the founders of the Société d'Apollon with his friend, the composer Joseph-François Snel.

After a few years of eclipse, he took over the direction of the Monnaie orchestra in 1835, was dismissed in 1838 and returned a third time in 1840.

Hanssens composed the operas Alcibiade, La partie de trictrac ou la belle-mère,[3] Les dots and Le solitaire de Formentera[4] as well as a number of religious works such as masses, motets and a cantata.

He also wrote the occasional work Le vingt quatre août for Willem I's birthday.