Even Gluck himself had been forgotten.

First editions of his orchestral scores, which it is impossible to find to-day, sold for a few francs at the second-hand book shops.

Rameau was never mentioned.
Delsarte, handsome, eloquent, and fascinating, wielded an almost imperial sway over his little coterie of artists.

Thanks to him the lamp of our old French school was kept dimly burning until the day when inherent justice permitted it to be revived.

In this restricted world no evening was complete without Delsarte.