Bernard Sarrette portrait miniature by Isabey - Gallica

Bernard Sarrette (27 November 1765April 1858), founded what would become the ''

Conservatoire de Paris The Conservatoire de Paris (), also known as the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue ...

''.

Biography

Sarrette was born in

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefect ...

, the son of a

shoemaker Shoemaking is the process of making footwear. Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand, often by groups of shoemakers, or cobblers (also known as '' cordwainers''). In the 18th century, dozens or even hundreds of masters, journeymen ...

, and travelled to Paris as an accountant. During the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...

, he joined the ''Garde Nationale''. There he proposed the formation of a corps of musicians, and was put in charge, although he was not a musician. He gathered together forty-five musicians from the depot of the Gardes Françaises, and they formed the nucleus for the music of the ''Garde Nationale'', with

François Joseph Gossec François () is a French masculine given name and surname, equivalent to the English name Francis. People with the given name * Francis I of France, King of France (), known as "the Father and Restorer of Letters" * Francis II of France, King o ...

as artistic director. In May 1790, the municipality of Paris increased the body to seventy-eight musicians. When the financial embarrassments of the

Commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

necessitated the suppression of the paid guard, Sarrette kept the musicians near him and obtained from the municipality, in June 1792, the establishment of a free school of music. This cites Constant Pierre, ''B. Sarrette et les origines du Conservatoire'' (Paris, 1895). Sarrette was briefly imprisoned from 25 March to 10 May 1794, although the reasons are uncertain. On 18 Brumaire, Year II (8 November 1794), the school was converted into the Institut National de Musique by decree of the convention, and by the law of 16

Thermidor Thermidor () was the eleventh month in the French Republican Calendar. The month was named after the French word ''thermal'', derived from the Greek word "thermos" (''heat''). Thermidor was the second month of the summer quarter (''mois d'ét� ...

, Year III (3 August 1795), it was finally organized under the name of ''Conservatoire''. Sarrette regained the title of director during the reorganization of 1800. The protection of

Napoleon I Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

was a source of disaster to him in 1815, when the conservatoire was closed; its subsequent history was watched by its founder as a mere spectator from outside. For the last forty four years of his life Sarrette lived in retirement, in some type of disgrace. He died in Paris on 13 April 1858 and is buried in that city's Montmartre Cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sarrette, Bernard 1765 births 1858 deaths People from Bordeaux 18th-century French people 19th-century French people Directors of the Conservatoire de Paris Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur Burials at Montmartre Cemetery