What is now the territory of the Republic of Argentina, a part of the Spanish Empire since the 16th. Century, was originally administrated as a Governorship. In 1776, the King of Spain created the Viceroyalty of the River Plate, designating the city of Buenos Aires as its capital, and appointed General don Pedro de Cevallos as the first Viceroy. Until then, he had been the Governor and Captain General or military chief, with the current territories of the republics of Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay, as well as parts of the North and South of Chile and South of Brazil, also falling under his rule.
The Viceroyalty lasted until 25 May 1810, when the citizens of Buenos Aires proclaimed the first local government, independent from Spain, under the denomination of Nation of the United Provinces of the River Plate. This gave rise to the Argentine wars of independence, with battles and campaigns waged on land and sea, including the crossing of the Andes Range by the Andean Army. The army’s successful campaigns were also instrumental in gaining the independence of the republics of Chile, Peru and Ecuador.
With the purpose of unifying the military music of his Empire, Charles III, King of Spain, appointed Manuel de Espinosa de los Monteros, a musician from his Royal Chapel, to conduct the compilation and standardization of the bugle calls and marches used by his armies. In 1769, such compilation was officially adopted for the infantry and the cavalry. It received the name of “Bugle Calls and Marches of the Orders of Charles III”, and was likewise applicable to the Viceroyalty of the River Plate. The bugle calls and marches prescribed in said orders continued being used by the patriotic armies in the years following the declaration of independence.
In 1801, the "Regulations for the Disciplined Infantry and Cavalry Militias of the Buenos Aires Viceroyalty" were published in Madrid. Among other issues, these regulations ruled on the number of music bands and the quantity of members of the various military units of the Viceroyalty. By 1810, around 150 musicians were recorded in the various corps of the Buenos Aires garrison. That is why, since the very early days of Argentine independence, military units had their music bands, which accompanied them in their military actions and movements. The first marches of what would with time become the Republic of Argentina were composed in the years of the wars of independence, with the style and pattern of patriotic songs. The instruments used in these first compositions of military marches of the United Provinces of the River Plate were those established by the Spanish regulations: fifes (small traverse flute), bugles (trumpet without keys or valves) and drums or caisses. The drums and fifes served the infantry troops and the trumpets and kettledrums were used by the cavalry.
After 1830, the musical instruments used by the military bands, underwent important transformations, based on the changes introduced by innovators such as the Italian José Peletti and the Belgian Adolph Sax, who improved the old instruments made of copper and replaced them with others manufactured out of brass, with valves. We thus see the appearance of trombones, saxophones, bombardinos (tenor horns) and horns, among others. These instruments began being used in Argentina as from the second half of the 19th. Century.
The first Argentine Constitution was enacted in 1853. It promoted immigration by offering rights and guarantees on a par with those enjoyed by the native born. As a consequence of this opening and the opportunities offered by the country, there was a massive in-flow of immigrants from very different nations. In connection with Argentine military music, the importance of musicians and band masters coming from Italy in the second half of the 19th. Century should be noted. They contributed their musical skills and in some cases, also their talent as composers.
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