ourse z . ▁ ▁Bour g ault ▁was ▁from ▁a ▁family ▁of ▁considerable ▁political ▁and ▁ancest ral ▁influence . ▁His ▁uncle ▁was ▁Ad ol phe ▁B illa ult , ▁the ▁famous ▁minister ▁of ▁the ▁Second ▁Empire , ▁personally ▁selected ▁by ▁Napoleon ▁III ▁to ▁act ▁as ▁France ' s ▁Inter ior ▁Minister ▁from ▁ 1 8 5 4 - 1 8 5 8 . ▁Another ▁of ▁his ▁un cles , ▁Jules ▁R ie ff el , ▁from ▁Als ace , ▁founded ▁one ▁of ▁France ' s ▁first ▁agricult ural ▁schools ▁called ▁the ▁É cole ▁nationale ▁sup érieure ▁agr onom ique ▁de ▁R ennes . ▁His ▁father ▁was ▁an ▁important ▁business man , ▁ship ▁owner ▁and ▁m un itions ▁expert . ▁ ▁These ▁family ▁connections ▁enabled ▁him ▁to ▁study ▁law ▁before ▁switching ▁to ▁music ▁at ▁the ▁Paris ▁Conserv atoire ▁under ▁Am bro ise ▁Thomas , ▁where ▁he ▁obtained ▁the ▁pr estig ious ▁Prix ▁de ▁Rome ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 2 ▁with ▁his ▁cant ata ▁Louise ▁de ▁Mé zi ères . ▁He ▁served ▁in ▁the ▁Franco - Pr uss ian ▁War ▁and ▁was ▁wounded ▁during ▁the ▁sie ge ▁of ▁Paris , ▁receiving ▁the ▁Med aille ▁militaire ▁for ▁consp ic uous ▁bra very . ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 4 ▁he ▁visited ▁Greece , ▁where ▁he ▁began ▁studying ▁Greek ▁church ▁music ▁and ▁folk ▁music . ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 8 ▁he ▁was ▁appointed ▁professor ▁of ▁music ▁history ▁at ▁the ▁Paris ▁Conserv atoire . ▁Among ▁his ▁many ▁pup ils ▁were ▁Charles ▁Ko ech lin ▁and ▁Claude