François Lays
François Lay, better known under the stage name Lays (14 February 1758 – 30 March 1831), was a French baritone and tenor opera singer. Originally destined for a career in the church, Lays was recruited by the Paris Opéra in 1779. He soon became a leading member of the company, in spite of quarrels with the management. Lays enthusiastically welcomed the French Revolution and became involved in politics with the encouragement of his friend Bertrand Barère. Barère's downfall led to Lays being imprisoned briefly, but he soon won back the public and secured the patronage of Napoleon, at whose coronation and second wedding he sang. This association with the Emperor caused him trouble when the Bourbon monarchy was restored and Lays's final years were darkened by disputes over his pension, mounting debts, the death of his only son and his wife's illness. After a career spanning more than four decades, he died in poverty.
Édouard Lalo
The aforementioned "Le roi d'Ys", an opera based on the Breton legend of Ys, is Lalo's most complex and ambitious creation. (This same legend inspired Claude Debussy to compose his famous piano piece, "La cathédrale engloutie".) For many years "Le Roi d'Ys" was considered unperformable, and it was not staged until 1888, when Lalo was 65 years old. Eight years earlier, he became a member of the Legion of Honour. He died in Paris in 1892, leaving several unfinished works, including his opera "La jacquerie", completed by Arthur Coquard. He was interred at the Père Lachaise Cemetery.