The name conservatory is derived from the Latin word,conservare, which means "to preserve," and was used to denote the idea of preserving music from corruption. The idea of a school of music for this purpose emanated from Italy, the four most ancient being the four Neapolitan schools, Santa Maria di Loreto, San Onofrio, De' Poveri di Gesu Cristo, and Delia Pieta de' Turchini, which all sprang from the first school of music founded at Naples before1490by Jean Tinctor. The conservatori of Venice arose out of the school founded by another Fleming, Willaert, at the same date with that of Naples, and were also four in number. Probably the first music school of all, however, was that founded by Gregory the Great in Rome during the sixth century, in order to improve and maintain an adequate body of singers for St. Peter's.
Coming to modern times, the Paris Conservatory was founded as a free school of music by the Convention Nationale, August 3, 1705. Its first suggestion was due to a horn player named Rodolphe, and a plan which he submitted to the minister Amelot in 1775 was carried into effect in 1784. Another school was founded shortly after, and finally the two were merged into the present Conservatory, which has grown to be one of the foremost musical educational schools in the world.
The Hochschule of Berlin was established in its present form in 1875, on the reorganization of the Royal Academy of Arts. Like the Paris conservatory, it was formed by the amalgamation of two distinct bodies. It consists of two entirely separate parts, one devoted to composition, and the other to instrumental study. Since 1872 the pupils of the Hochschule have given three or four public concerts every year, and since 1876 operatic productions have been added.
The Leipsic Conservatory was founded by Mendelssohn, under whose direction it was opened April 3, 1843.It has played an exceedingly important part in the musical history of the last half of the19th century, many of the world's greatest composers having been trained there.
