Description
Jean-Baptiste Bréval (1753-1823) was a French cellist and composer, who wrote mostly for his own instrument. Born in Paris, by 1774 he was an active cello teacher, and in 1775 he published his first composition. He went on to play in various theatre orchestras in Paris, most notably that of the Paris Opera. It has been stated that he also taught at the Paris Conservatoire, but evidence to support this is hard to find. His music however, was definitely used there for the instruction of students. This collection of duets was originally written for violin and cello. It follows standard practices of the time, with the initial tune being passed between the two players and decorated with increasingly florid patterns of triplets and semiquavers. They have been arranged with intermediate players in mind, and to bring the pieces to a more manageable length, within each duo it is possible to cut from any double bar to any other double bar. Dynamics and articulation are very much suggestions only, and may be altered by the performers.
