In part because of this unexpected fusion of styles, the piece was poorly received upon its first performance. More importantly, however, the reception of Franck's symphony was greatly affected by the politicised world of French music following the split in the Société Nationale de Musique, which had been founded by Saint-Saëns in 1871 in the anti-German spirit aroused by the Franco-Prussian War, to promote a French style of music. The 1886 split was driven by the Société's decision to accept "foreign" (i.e. principally German) music and an admiration for the music of Richard Wagner by some of its younger members (notably Franck himself and D'Indy). This sense of a betrayal of French music led several conservative members of the Société, led by Saint-Saëns, to resign, whereupon Franck himself assumed the presidency. The resulting environment was poisonous. The controversy permeated the Conservatoire de Paris and made it very difficult for Franck to get his symphony premiered. When his score was rejected by the leading French conductor Charles Lamoureux, Franck resorted to the conservatory orchestra, which was obliged to play faculty works. Even then, rehearsals were desultory and reaction mostly negative.