Solos (1740) - SOLO BSN

Solos (1740)
for unaccompanied bassoon
by Jean-Daniel Braun (1728-1740) - French composer

These unaccompanied pieces come from the appendix to Sonate de Mr. Braun, A flute transverse et basse, published in Paris in 1740. Whether these pieces were intended primarily for flute or not, the use of wide leaps characteristic of Braun's flute music makes them very effective on the bassoon, as well as providing highly desirable solo practice material. 

The question of authorship of these pieces is a little problematic; the title page suggests that they are by several different musicians; most of them appear in a Copenhagen manuscript of pieces supposedly by Quantz, and fifteen of them were published in versions for recorder by FJ Giesbert in the 1930s from a  manuscript that was later destroyed in the war (Schott ED 12216, Fifteen Solos). Most of the piece are probably not by Braun himself, as the use of wide leaps similar to violin passages across the strings is a notable feature of the accompanied sonatas in the same collection. 

Edited by Jaroslav Capek, 1983. These 24 Solos are also available in an edition from Amadeus Musikverlag by clicking HERE.