Military Music And Its Story - online book

The Rise & Development Of Military Music

Share page

Visit Us On FB

	THE INFLUENCE OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION. 81
	bands restored. They were instrumented thus: Six­teen trumpets, six horns and three trombones, but kettledrums were only allowed to the guards, cuirassiers and carbiniers.8 In the regiments of infantry, bands comprised:
	These fine bands of the Napoleonic armies, says Kappey, were considered the finest in existence, hence the great influence they exercised upon the improve­ment of those of other nations, with whom the con-queror came in contact. " Composers for the first time got a conception of the capabilities of this hitherto despised branch of musical art; open air music was lifted into a superior position." How this great move­ment influenced our bands in England we shall see presently. It has been said that the best military bands in this country a century ago were those attached to the militia and volunteers, which since their reorganisation during the American War, had become a very popular branch of the service. In Ireland too,
	' Napoleon instituted a school for cavalry trumpeters at Versailles which existed from 1805 to 1811. " Clarinets in F and C were employed universally in military bands at thii period. Note Beethoven's works for same, and Mendelssohn's Overture in 0. In France, the B flat (and the E flat?) came into use in 1814, and were made oompulsory in 182b.                                                                                 ■* 12