History
The Vingt-quatre Violons du Roi (engl. "The King's 24 Strings") were founded 1626 under Louis XIII. As part of the Musique de la Chambre they played an important role in the musical accompaniment of festivities and official events at the Versailles court. If needed they were reinforced by the wind instruments of the Grande Ecurie, an ensemble that was primarily responsible for open-air and military occasions, or they performed together with the orchestra of the opera. Members of the Vingt-quatre Violons had to have an impeccable reputation and had to be Roman Catholic. Their privileges included tax exemption and the right to carry a rapier. Among the members of the ensemble were Jean-Baptiste Lully, Jean-Féry Rebel, his son François Rebel and Jacques Aubert.
In 1656, under Louis XIV, the Vingt-quatre Violons were supplemented by an orchestra consisting of 16, later 21 strings. The new ensemble was called La petite bande, the Vingt-quatre Violons were dubbed La grande bande. In 1761, the orchestra was disbanded, mainly for financial reasons, and was merged with the Chapelle Royale, then responsible solely for religious festivities.
Read more about this topic: Les Vingt-quatre Violons Du Roi
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