Ritual , Secrecy , and Civil Society
for himself in Paris in 1775 . From 1776 to 1785 , he has a position in the King ’ s Music [ la Musique du roi ]. After 1790 , he is a member and founder of the musical corps of the National Guard , then of the Consular Guard , and finally of the Guard of the Emperor ' s grenadiers ; he wrote several manuals [ méthodes ] and a grand military symphony on the occasion of the birth of the King of Rome . 136 He was a member of the lodge Le Patriotisme à l ' Orient at the Court in Versailles .
Freemusicians from the Court and Paris Go Abroad ( 1774 – 1792 ) We will introduce another concept related to the world of Louis XVI-era musicians in addition to the concept of Enlightenment cosmopolitanism ( so dear to Freemasons at the end of the eighteenth century , who consider themselves citizens of the universe , albeit a universe limited to Europe ). This is the concept of French musicians who set off for states across Europe . The history of the period ' s music is still seen through one prism : the contribution of foreign musicians to French music . According to many authors , there would be no sinfonia concertante or Masonic music if it were not for Mozart or Haydn coming to France like the Biblical Magi , finally bringing some real music to “ the good savages !” Nonetheless , the reputation of France ' s “ talented brothers ” was sufficient for them to go abroad , taking what they had acquired in Paris . In turn , they are going to use their Masonic passport to leave the country . In our opinion , there are two time periods for this movement , the first before 1789 , and the other connected to the Revolution . Let ' s survey this shadowy zone , this terra incognita . After a career in comic-opera , Isidore Berthaume ( 1752 – 1802 ) leaves France in 1791 , emigrating to the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg where he is in the service of the Prince . Then he goes to Saint Petersburg , becoming the Tsar ' s first violin ; he dies at the Tsar ' s court in 1802 . In 1779 , he becomes a member of the lodge Les Amis Réunis . Luigi Cherubini ( 1760 – 1842 ) settles in Vienna from 1805 to 1806 on Beethoven ' s request . François-André Danican Philidor ( 1726 – 1795 ), composer and chess player , settles in London from 1745 to make a living from chess and also from his music . In 1769 , the Duke of Zweibrücken [ le duc des Deux- Ponts ] appoints him as his music master . He is the only Frenchman initiated into a London lodge before being a member of la Société Olympique in 1786 . His brother , Jean Darondeau ( 1741 – 1810 ), a singer , composer , harpsichord teacher , and member of la Société Olympique , is exiled in London from 1790 to 1800 , where he is somewhat successful . At the invitation of the dowager Princess of Nassau-Saarbrücken , he accepts a post as marshall at the court in Usingen from 1800 to 1810 ; he was a member of la Société Olympique . Nicolas Dezède ( 1738 – 1792 ), a composer , is in the service of the Duke of Zweibrücken from 1785 to 1790 ; he was a member of the lodge Les Neuf Sœurs . Jean-Louis Duport ( 1749 – 1819 ) a cellist and composer , makes a maiden voyage to London and is quite successful there ; after July 1789 , fleeing the Revolution , he joins his brother in Berlin , who has been a musician in the royal chapel since 1773 ; he is hired first by Frederick the Great , then in 1786 , he is named Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia ' s superintendent of music , remaining in his service until 1806 . He became a member of the lodge Saint-Jean d ' Ecosse du Contrat Social in 1781 . Pierre-Etienne Floquet ( 1748 – 1785 ) a successful composer while abroad , was attacked by cabals of Gluckists , and left the country , heading to Naples first , then to Bologna where he was admitted as a member of that city ' s academy of music . 137 He finds success in Italy , but returning to Paris in
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 136 Thierry Levaux , Dictionnaire des compositeurs de Belgique du Moyen Age à nos jours ( Ohain-
Lasne : Art in Belgium , 2006 ), 736 p .
137
Marie Briquet , “ A propos de lettres inédites d ’ Etienne Joseph Floquet ,” in Revue de Musicologie , t . 20 ( Paris , 1939 ), 1-6 , 41-47 .
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