Égalité and fraternité : brass chamber music in Paris, 1848-1870

This thesis explores the composition and performance of music for small ensembles of chromatic brass instruments in Paris from c1848-1868. It focuses on the lives and small ensemble works of three Parisian composers: the Quintettes and Symphonies of Jean-François Bellon, the Quintettes and Septuors of Auguste Mimart, and the Collection des Quatuors d’Haydn of Julien Tollot, his set of 23 arrangements of Haydn string quartets for five brass instruments. The thesis is presented in two parts. Part I, In Their Time, examines the composers’ lives and works in relation to how each engaged with the concepts of chamber music and with the ideals of égalité and fraternité in their music, among musicians, and with other sectors of society in the nineteenth century. It begins with an overview of the history and contexts that supported and surrounded their work; it then explores the performers and audiences who engaged with their compositions. It further analyses the compositional techniques of Mimart and Tollot in relation to those groups. Part II, In Our Time, explores these works from the perspective of the 21st century. The compositions are further examined from the perspective of creating recordings and of performances on period instruments. The challenges and processes of creating modern performance materials and critical editions are explored, including discussion about specific editorial decisions. It concludes with consideration of how these works might be relevant today.