French composers of the Classical era?

[lelle]

Does anyone know any French composers that were contemporary with Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven? I just realized I don't know any. I have some familiarity with the Baroque music of the french masters such as Rameau, Couperin, Lully etc. And then I of course know the masters of the late 19th/early 20th century who were either of French origin or composed in France such as Chopin, Liszt, Debussy, Franck, Fauré, Saint-Saens, Ravel, etc. But between those eras there is a big gap. Where there any great composers active in france between those two eras?

[thalbergmad]

There does seem to be a bit of a gap with instrumental works. The only one I have any experience of is Hyacinthe Jadin and I doubt if I will ever play those works again.

[brogers70]

Kreutzer was a French composer, but his main claim to fame is that Beethoven dedicated a violin sonata to him. I've never actually heard any of his music.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

The only French composers I can really name from that general period I'd associate with opera tbh, people like Mehul, Herold, Halevy and later on Auber.

[compline]

Kreutzer was a French composer, but his main claim to fame is that Beethoven dedicated a violin sonata to him. I've never actually heard any of his music.

[lelle]

There does seem to be a bit of a gap with instrumental works. The only one I have any experience of is Hyacinthe Jadin and I doubt if I will ever play those works again.

Allright, then I'll stay away 

So it seems there was a great lack of prominent composers in France, at least for the keyboard, between the baroque era and the mid-late romantic era? I wonder why this might be?