{"id":1965,"date":"2024-12-30T18:04:57","date_gmt":"2024-12-30T17:04:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.histoiredebal.com\/?p=1965"},"modified":"2025-02-16T13:39:49","modified_gmt":"2025-02-16T12:39:49","slug":"un-quadrille-original-le-quadrille-de-la-paix-1859","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.histoiredebal.com\/en\/2024\/12\/30\/un-quadrille-original-le-quadrille-de-la-paix-1859\/","title":{"rendered":"An unusual quadrille : Le Quadrille de la Paix, 1859."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Are you fed up with the First Set<\/em>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fancy something else than the Lancers<\/em>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you need a new quadrille to spice up your dance lessons?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here it is, the quadrille you were dreaming of!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This quadrille commemorates a French military victory. I would even say that it tells the story of the war, battle by battle, nearly day by day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, I will tell you about the surprising Quadrille de la Paix<\/em> (“Peace Quadrille”). Unusual quadrille, it draws its inspiration in contemporary events of its time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And of course, we’ll see how it is dances, with specific instructions for that mysterious figure: la cha\u00eene-franco-sarde<\/em> (“the French-Sardinian chain”).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article would not have been the same without the precious help of Yvonne Vart<\/a> and her friends researchers in Trieste: Susanna, Sara and Marisol. Especially Susanna, that identified Reggio’s hymn.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being a French native speaker, I write in English as good as I can. Please let me know if you spot any error. thank you!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creation of the Quadrille de la Paix<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

But let’s begin by the start.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"music
Boizot father (choreography), Henri Boizot (music), Quadrille de la paix (…)<\/em>, Boizot, Paris, 1860.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The Quadrille de la Paix<\/em> is an original choreography by Henri Boizot father, on a music by Henri Boizot son.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The creators<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Henri Boizot is a dance teacher; he published several dances. His son Henri is a dance teacher and an orchestra conductor. He led the ball orchestra of the Louvres in 1861.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more information about the Boizot family, see this French article about Eaubonne <\/a>city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both Boizot worked together to get in France the Caledonian quadrille as rival du quadrille des Lanciers<\/em> (“competitor to the Lancer’s quadrille”). They also published miscellaneous galops, polkas and waltzes in the 1850s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mention especially two dances: Souvenir de la grande arm\u00e9e : grande polka militaire<\/em> (“Memory of the Grande Arm\u00e9e<\/a>: great military polka”) by Boizot son in 1857, and La Napol\u00e9onide<\/em> dedicated in 1853 to sa majest\u00e9 Napol\u00e9on III, Empereur des Fran\u00e7ais<\/em> (“His Majesty Napoleon III, emperor of the French”). This shed light on the Boizot family’s political views.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We’ll see that these views are also discernible in the Quadrille de la Paix<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publishing Quadrille de la Paix<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

What do we know about that dance?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The music sheet and the instructions of the quadrille<\/a> are published a first time in 1859. A second edition<\/a> is published the following year, this time with a strong marketing argument: accept\u00e9 par sa Majest\u00e9 l\u2019Imp\u00e9ratrice des Fran\u00e7ais<\/em> (“accepted by her Majesty the Empress of the French”).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still in 1860, the quadrille de la Paix stands inside the Boizot’s “R\u00e9pertoire des quadrilles (…)<\/em>” , pages 53 to 58. It seems to be a last-minute update, as the book includes the instructions for several quadrilles, then the waltz, then the Quadrille de la Paix <\/em>set apart from the other quadrilles. This third publication is identical to the first two, besides a few orthographic corrections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The quadrille let few traces outside those documents. But the Boizot tried to publicize it for many years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1859, the newspaper Le m\u00e9nestrel<\/em> speaks three times about the quadrille. In August, the publication is announced. The quadrille is said to be “in fashion” in October, and in December it is said to be “highly sought-after”. But no other newspaper speak about the quadrille, so I doubt the quadrille was a success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two years later, Le constitutionnel<\/em> on April 12th writes that Henry (sic) Boizot will play the Quadrille de la Paix during a ball organized by his father.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the 1863 annuaire-almanach du commerce<\/a> (\u2026) both Boizot introduce themselves as Boizot p\u00e8re et fils, auteurs de la Mazeppa et du quadrille de la Paix, cours de danse et le\u00e7ons de musique, St-Honor\u00e9, 247<\/em>. So the Boizot tried very hard to push this quadrille in the ballrooms.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Empress
Franz Xaver Winterhalter, Portrait de Eug\u00e9nie de Montijo<\/em>, 1853.
The empress supports the Quadrille de la Paix.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Quadrille de la Paix: military context<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before commenting on the choreography, let’s see how is the international European context in 1859. this is needed to understand well the references throughout the quadrille.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quadrille de la Paix<\/em> is dedicated the the French-Sardinian allies. Here is a summary of the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1859, Austria rules over a good chunk of the Italian peninsula. On the other side, a nationalist movement tries to unify the Italian-speaking territory. At its head, Victor Emmanuel II, king of Sardinia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The French-Sardinian alliance of 1859 is a military agreement specifying the Plombi\u00e8res Agreement of 1858. France commits to help the kingdom of Sardinia against Austria. In exchange, France would receive Duchy of Savoy, and Nice town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The occasion to put the alliance in action arrives quickly, as the second Italian War of Independance starts on April 26th, 1859. The war doesn’t last long. Both empires sign an armistice on July 11th. The war officially ends on November 10th or 11th with the treaty of Z\u00fcrich.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Quadrille de la Paix<\/em> gets published on July 15th 1859, right after the armistice. Written to the glory of the French-Sardinian fighters, it summarizes the big steps of the conflict, as we’ll see.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Italy
Italy in 1859. Source<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The music for Quadrille de la Paix<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here are the figure names, as well as the pertaining tune :<\/p>\n\n\n\n