Wars of Louis Quatorze

Sunday, 19 April 2026

Reveries, or memoirs upon the art of war by Field-Marshal Count Saxe. Translated from the French. 1757

De Saxe on music

Does anyone know the quote from M de Saxe where he says something like 'without music troops are prone to melancholy'. I can't find it.

Count Saxe's March (around 1760) - Fife & Drum

JG Baroque says

Sometimes, great people of an era inspire musicians to honour them, with celebratory pieces, odes, songs and works being written and performed, sometimes in great numbers. Indeed, sometimes they even inspire people that would normally consider themselves their enemies. One such person was Maurice de Saxe, or in his native tongue, Moritz von Sachsen, a Prince of Saxony who served many years in the French army, perhaps most notably in the War of Austrian Succession. This march “Count Saxe’s March”, is from a British source, namely Thompson’s “Compleat Tutor for the Fife”, published around 1760. There is an interesting feature in the melody – at the end of each phrase of the second part, there is a cadence which resembles the ending phrases of the most common version of “the British Grenadiers”, which stems from the late 18th century.

This arrangement, with the slow 60 bpm pace of the time, captures somewhat the glory of the celebrated commander, where I have written harmonizing fife parts to the melody and drums to accompany it. The image shows Marshall de Saxe (in red), commanding the French army at the battle of Rocoux on October 11th, 1746. It was painted in 1750 by the French artist Pierre Nicolas l’Enfant.

Drummer 1615

Ein Trommler, Blatt 3 aus der Folge „Newes Soldaten Büchlein“, herausgegeben von P. Ouverradt 1615

https://sammlung.mak.at/.../ein-trommler-blatt-3-aus-der...

Henry Hexham 1642 on drums and drum majors

from Wars of Louis Quatorze: Carved figures from the staircase of Cromwell House, from the Survey of London

http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A43479.0001.001

Of a Drumme Majour. Every Regiment ought to have a Drumme-Majour, to whom when it is watch time, the other Drummes are to repaire, there to beat a call, and to march with his Company that is appointed for the guard. A Drum-ma∣jour ought to be a grave man, able to instruct the other Drums to beat a true march, and other points of warre, to see the Drummes that beat upon a march to be duely relieved, and also to speake divers tongues, and to bee wise, and cautelous what he shall speake to an Enemy.

Of the Drummers. Every company also ought to have two good Drummers, that knoweth how to beate a call, a slow, or a swift march well, a charge, a retreat, and a Reveille: He should also be a linguist, because oftentimes he may be sent unto the enemy, for the ransoming of prisoners, his duty is comming to the campe, or garison of an enemy, hau∣ing his Generalls passe in his hat, to beat a call, till he is fetcht in, and because he shall not discover the weaknesse of guards, workes, or trenches, he is led blindfold, and so carried to the Commander, and place where his prison∣ers are, with whom after he hath ransommed them, he is to returne to the camp, or garison.