The Paris Conservatoire’s rigorous curriculum for training both singers and instrumentalists led to a wealth of musical treasures in the form of pieces composed specifically for the end-of-year examinations, which culminated in a public prize competition, the Concours du Conservatoire.

The solos composed for these examinations, both the sight-reading works and the longer contest pieces (morceaux de concours), constitute the first extended series of compositions for woodwinds, brass, and harp ...