Between courtly, civil and military service: military musicians in the principality and kingdom of Serbia

Abstract

The Principality and later Kingdom of Serbia with its less pronounced class differences, with a thin layer of urban population and the dominance of rural population, was the perfect target for the military musicians that were coming from the Habsburg Empire. “Foreigners” as military musicians would progress into higher strata. Czech musicians were the most important and most numerous among the newcomers in Serbia and the role of Josif Schlesinger as the first important musician is essential for understanding their importance and influence. The educational and modernization process could be followed by the growth in the number of professional military musicians.