Marche des Janissaires - MVSR1737 | Musica

Belgian-French composer André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry (1741-1813), who had studied in Rome, was early-on enthusiastic about opera and became one of the celebrated Parisian opera composers during the French Revolutionary period. The republic charged him with the foundation of a conservatory. His “March of the Janissaries” carries ideas of the revolution and was supposed to give full impact to the slogan “Liberty, equality, fraternity!” as did the numerous works of other composers written as so called revolutionary music.

In scene XV "La Garde Passe" from the opera "Les Deux Avares" (The Two Miserly) Ali, Mustapha, Osman and seven other Janissaries appear. To this end, the "March of the Janissaries" sounds with choir and orchestra. In the original, the opera's orchestra consists of 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, mandolin and strings.