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 c...