The youngest of them, Batton, a grand prix, who wrote unsuccessful operas, then took to the manufacturing of artificial flowers, and died as inspector at the Conservatoire, need not detain us.  Berton, Paer, Blangini, Carafa (respectively born in 1767, 1771, 1781, and 1785), once composers who enjoyed the public’s favour, had lost or were losing their popularity at the time we are speaking of; Rossini, Auber, and others having now come into fashion.  They present a saddening spectacle, these faded reputations, these dethroned monarchs!  What do we know of Blangini, the “Musical Anacreon,” and his twenty operas, one hundred and seventy two-part “Notturni,” thirty-four “Romances,” &c.?  Where are Paer’s oratorios, operas, and cantatas performed now?  Attempts were made in later years to revive some of Carafa’s earlier works, but the result was on each occasion a failure.  And poor Berton?  He could not bear the public’s neglect patiently, and vented his rage in two pamphlets, one of them entitled “De la musique mecanique et de la musique philosophique,” which neither converted nor harmed anyone.  Boieldieu, too, had to deplore the failure of his last opera, “Les deux nuits” (1829), but then his “La Dame blanche,” which had appeared in 1825, and his earlier “Jean de Paris” were still as fresh as ever.  Herold had only in this year (1831) scored his greatest success with “Zampa.”  As to Auber, he was at the zenith of his fame.  Among the many operas he had already composed, there were three of his best—­“Le Macon,” “La Muette,” and “Fra Diavolo”—­and this inimitable master of the genre sautillant had still a long series of charming works in petto.  To exhaust the list of prominent men in the dramatic department we have to add only a few names.  Of the younger masters I shall mention Halevy, whose most successful work, “La Juive,” did not come out till 1835, and Adam, whose best opera, “Le postilion de Longjumeau,” saw the foot-lights in 1836.  Of the older masters we must not overlook Lesueur, the composer of “Les Bardes,” an opera which came out in 1812, and was admired by Napoleon.  Lesueur, distinguished as a composer of dramatic and sacred music, and a writer on musical matters, had, however, given up all professional work with the exception of teaching composition at the Conservatoire.  In fact, almost all the above-named old gentlemen, although out of fashion as composers, occupied important positions in the musical commonwealth as professors at that institution.  Speaking of professors I must not forget to mention old Reicha (born in 1770), the well-known theorist, voluminous composer of instrumental music, and esteemed teacher of counterpoint and composition.

But the young generation did not always look up to these venerable men with the reverence due to their age and merit.  Chopin, for instance, writes:—­