Orchestral and Choral Music at the Brussels Court of Charles of Lorraine (1741–1780)

The decades between ca. 1740 and ca. 1780 may not rank among the most illustrious periods in the history of music in Brussels. Nevertheless, several exceptionally talented composers were active in the city during this period, including Josse Boutmy, HenryJacques De Croes, Eugène Godecharle, Jean-Noël Massart, Charles-Joseph Van Helmont, and Pieter Van Maldere. They were primarily active at the court of Governor Charles of Lorraine and at the Collegiate Church of St Michael and St Gudula. 

While a substantial body of chamber music survives in historical printed editions, many choral and orchestral works have survived only in manuscript copies, which eventually found their way into the collections of the Brussels Conservatory and the Royal Library of Belgium. Most of these works have since been rarely, if ever, performed.