In
1861, Pasdeloup gave the first _Concerts populaires de musique
classique_ at the Cirque d'Hiver. The Berlioz Festival, organised by M.
Reyer, on March 23rd, 1870, a year after Berlioz's death, revealed to
France the grandeur of its greatest musical genius, and was the
beginning of a campaign of public reparation to his memory.
[Footnote 206: We remark, nevertheless, that that did not prevent
Gautier from being a musical critic.]
The disasters of the war in 1870 regenerated the nation's artistic
spirit. Music felt its effect immediately.[207] On February 24th, 1871,
the _Societe nationale de Musique_ was instituted to propagate the works
of French composers; and in 1873 the _Concerts de l'Association
artistique_ were started under M. Colonne's direction; and these
concerts, besides making people acquainted with the classic composers of
symphonies and the masters of the young French school, were especially
devoted to the honouring of Berlioz, whose triumph reached its summit
about 1880.[208]
[Footnote 207: I wish to make known from the beginning that I am only
noticing here the greater musical doings of the nation, and making no
mention of works which have not had an important influence on this
movement.
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