Ossian, ou Les bardes

The libretto, by Alphonse François "Paul" Palat-Dercy and Jacques-Marie Deschamps, is based on the Ossian poems of James Macpherson (specifically the poem "Calthon and Colmal"), which had been translated into French by Pierre-Prime-Félicien Le Tourneur [fr].

The premiere was a huge success, especially with Emperor Napoleon, who was a great admirer of the Ossian poems.

For instance, act 4 has visions of heroes and bards in a cave behind a backlit curtain of gauze.

According to the musicologist David Charlton, Les bardes turns away from the classical aesthetic of Gluck (the dominant operatic influence of the time in France) and prefigures grand opera.

[citation needed] The work had an influence on Le Sueur's most famous pupil, Hector Berlioz.