The _Introduzione_ of Pleyel's composition is intended to depict the rising of the people. The stringed instruments begin _piano_. After a little while a low murmuring noise mingles with the soft strains, sounding at first as if from a great distance, and approaching gradually nearer and nearer. Now the wind-instruments fall in, and soon the blowing is as furious as if it were intended to represent the most terrific storm. It is, however, meant to represent the storming of the Tuileries. Fortunately the awful noise soon passes over, and only some sharp skirmishes are occasionally heard. After about a hundred bars of this descriptive fiddling and blowing, the alarm-bells begin--first one, then another, and now all in rapid succession. Suddenly they are silenced by a loud trumpet signal, responded to by a number of drums and fifes. The fanfare leads to a new confusion, through which the melody of some old French military march is faintly discernible. The excitement gradually subsides, and after awhile the stringed instruments alone are engaged, softly expressing the sighs of the wounded and dying. Presently the Royalists make themselves heard with the song, "_O Richard, Ù mon roi_" (from 'Richard Coeur de Lion') which, after some more confusion, is followed by the air, "_O˘ peut-on Ítre mieux?_" at the end of which discharges of cannon commence. Another general confusion, depicted by the whole orchestra with the addition of cannon and alarm-bells. Suddenly a flourish of trumpets, with kettle-drums, announces victory, and forms the introduction to a jubilant chorus with full orchestral accompaniment: "_La victoire est ‡ nous, le peuple est sauvÈ!_" This again, after some more instrumental interluding, is followed by a chorus with orchestral accompaniment founded on the tune "_«a ira, Áa ira_," a patriotic song which was, during the time of the Revolution, very popular with the French soldiers. The remaining portion of the composition consists of a few songs for single voices alternating with choruses. As the words are not only musically but also historically interesting, they may find a place here. "_Chorus._ "Nous t'offrons les dÈbris d'un trÙne, Sur ces autels, Ù Sainte LibertÈ! De l'Èternelle vÈritÈ. Ce jour enfin, qui nous environne, Rend tout ce peuple ‡ la fÈlicitÈ; Par sa vertu, par sa fiertÈ, Il conquiert l'ÈgalitÈ. Parmis nos hÈros la foudre qui tonne L'annonce au loin ‡ l'humanitÈ. "_A Woman._ (_Solo._) "Mon fils vient d'expirer, Mais je n'ai plus de rois! "_Romance._ "Il fut ‡ son pays avant que d'Ítre ‡ moi, Et j'Ètais citoyenne avant que d'Ítre mËre. Mon fils! par tes vertus j'honore ta poussiËre. "_Chorus._ "Nous t'offrons les dÈbris d'un trÙne, etc., etc. "_Solo._ (_Soprano._)