Berlioz commented that they had 'la grandeur, la force, la verve et la passion' (Memoires ch 51 1st trip to Germany (1841-2) 6th letter)
The members were originally from the orchestra of the Braunschweig Opera which, with Hamburg and Munich, was one of Germany's top three opera houses in the period 1750 to 1850. Braunschweig (Brunswick) was the capital of the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg, later absorbed into the Kingdom of Hannover (1814-66).
