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80 MILITARY MUSIC AND ITS STORY.
important French composer in the latter half of the eighteenth century8 was appointed bandmaster, with Catel as his assistant. They wrote a vast amount of music for military bands, including symphonies. After three years this band was dissolved by the Convention, but Sarrette managed to keep his players together, and eventually formed a free music school, in which the members of the band were appointed teachers. When the military spirit was abroad once again, it was Sarrette's school that provided regimental bands for all the corps d'armee of France, which led the Convention to bestow upon the school the title of " Institut National de Musique." In 1795, this was amalgamated with the "Ecole du Chant et du Declamation," under the decree of the government as the "Conservatoire de Musique," Sarrette being appointed director, the first of that brilliant line which includes Cherubini, Auber and Ambroise Thomas. Thus the world-renowned ' Paris Conservatoire had its origin in the ranks of military music.
Under Napoleon, military bands made enormous strides, not only in matter of numbers, but in executive capacity. In 1802 however, for reasons of economy, he suppressed bands in cavalry regiments, and is said to have remarked that the cavalry bandsmen were monopolising horses and equipment with which he could furnish four regiments. When financial prosÂpects for the army were brighter, the cavalry had their |
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1 Naumann, "History of Music." |
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