Concert Spirituel - The 19th Century

The 19th Century

During the Napoleonic period concerts were occasionally held in Paris under the title "concert spirituel", particularly after 1805 as religious feeling revived in France. During the Restoration (1814–1830), the Théâtre-Italien and Académie Royale de Musique gave 6 to 9 concerts spirituels per year, but only during Holy Week. They became a regular feature at the Société des Concerts du Conservatoire shortly after it was founded in 1828 and remained so for most of the nineteenth century. They were frequently benefit performances featuring notable soloists - for example, Charles-Valentin Alkan led one of the three Concerts Spirituels in 1828.