Léon Vasseur

[3] In 1870 after eight years at Saint-Symphorien, Vasseur succeeded Marie-Louise Leroi-Godefroy as organist of Notre-Dame de Versailles, the former royal parish church of the kings of France.

[1] He composed works for both his churches, including 20 motets, 2 masses, offertories, anthems and a Magnificat, and also an instruction book, Méthode d'orgue expressif ou harmonium (1867).

It was not a success, but his second piece, La timbale d'argent (The Silver Cup), opened eight days later at the Théâtre des Bouffes Parisiens and ran for more than 200 nights.

[4] Vasseur never equalled the popularity of La timbale d'argent, but his series of usually risqué operettas achieved modest success at a variety of theatres in Paris and elsewhere.

[2] His first production, Hymnis, a comic opera by Theodore de Banville and Jules Cressonnois, proved too heavyweight for the taste of the Parisian public, and within a year Vasseur was forced to close the theatre.