Jean-Baptiste Bréval

He wrote mostly for his own instrument, including pedagogical works as well as virtuoso display pieces.

Bréval was born in Paris, and went on to study with François Cupis (1735-1810) and Martin Berteau. By 1774, he was an active cello teacher. In 1775, he published his opus 1, six concertante quartets. In 1776, he became a member of the «Société Académique des Enfants d'Apollon». Kicking off his career by performing one of his sonatas at a Concert Spirituel in 1778, he became a member of their orchestra from 1781 to 1791, and from 1791 to 1800 he played in the orchestra of the Théâtre Feydeau. Later he became involved in the administration of the «Concerts de la rue de Cléry» and a member of the Paris Opera orchestra. He retired from the orchestra in 1816. The Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung states that Bréval taught at the Conservatoire although this can not be verified by Conservatoire documents. However, Bréval's compositions were definitely used for instruction at the Conservatoire. Bréval died in Colligis, Aisne.

Symphonies concertantes (only solo instruments listed): • 2 as Op. 4 (1777), No. 1, 2 violins, viola obbl, cello in Andante, No. 2, 2 violins, cello obbl; • 2 as Op. 11 (1783), No. 1, No. 2, 2 violin, cello; • 1 as Op. 30, oboe, horn (c1789), lost; • 1 as Op. 31, flute, bassoon (c1790),?arr. by Devienne of Op. 30; • 1 as Op. 33, violin, viola (c1792), lost; • 1 as Op. 38, clarinet, horn, bassoon (c1795); • 1 for violin, cello, perf. Paris, Concert Spirituel, 1787; • 1 for 2 cello, performance Paris Conservatoire, 1800 Cello Concertos: • No. 1, G, Op. 14 (1784); • No. 2, D, Op. 17 (1784); • No. 3, F, Op. 20 (1785); • No. 4, C, Op. 22 (1786); • No. 5, Op. 24 (1786); • No. 6, C, Op. 26 (1786);

Quartets: • 6 quatuors concertants, 2 violin, viola, bass, Op. 1 (1775); • 6 quatuors concertants et dialogués, violin/flute, violin, viola, bass, Op. 5 (1778); • 6 quatuors concertants et dialogués, 2 violins, viola, bass, Op. 7 (1781); • 6 quatuors concertants et dialogués, 2 violins, viola, bass, Op. 18 (1785); • Quatuors in dis, bassoon, viola, cello, doublebass, CZ-Pnm Trios: • 6 trios concertants et dialogués, violin, viola, cello, Op. 3 (1777); • 6 for (flute, violin, cello)/(2 violins, bass), Op. 8 (1782); • 6 trio... concertants et dialogués, violin, viola, cello, Op. 27 (c1786),? 3 as Op. 32 (London, n.d.); • 3 for violin, cello obbl, doublebass, Op. 39 (c1795) Duets: • 1 violins: 6 as Op. 6 (1780), arr. 2 violins/violin, cello (London, n.d.); • 6 as Op. 10 (1783), arr. 2 violins/violin, cello (London, n.d.); • 6 for 2 violins/violin, cello, Op. 19 (1785); • 6 for 2 violins/violin, cello, Op. 23 (1786), lost, arr. 2 violins/violin, cello (London, n.d.); • 6 as Op. 29 (c1783), lost; 6 as Op. 32 (c1791); • 6 as Op. 34 (c1794),?lost, arr. 2 violins/(violin, cello)/2 cello as Op. 35 (London, n.d.); • 6 as Op. 37 (c1795), lost; • 6 duos concertantes, 2 violins/violin, cello, Op. 41 (c1798), nos.3, 5, 6 as duets (London, n.d.) Other duets: • 6 for 2 cellos, Op. 2 (1783); • 6 for violin, viola, Op. 15 (1784); • 6 for 2 flutes, Op. 16 (1784); • 6 duos faciles, violin, cello/bn, Op. 21 (1785),? also as 6 duos, violin, cello, Op. 1 (Berlin, n.d.); • 6 duos … pour faciliter l’étude des différentes clefs, 2 cellos, Op. 25 (1786) Sonatas: • Cello, b: 6 for cello/violin, b, Op. 12 (1783), also as Op. 2 (Berlin and Amsterdam, n.d.),? also as 6 solos, Op. 10 (London, n.d.); • 6 as Op. 28 (1787); • 6 as Op. 40 (c1795) ---Other works--- • Inès et Léonore, ou La sœur jalouse (oc, 3, Gautier, after Caldéron), Versailles, 14 Nov 1788 (1789); • ov. arr. pf, J.B. Cramer (1790) À ma marraine, air populaire avec paroles nouvelles, 1v unacc., F-Pn • Airs variés: Les nocturnes, ou 6 airs variés, violin, cello, Op. 9 (1782), as 6 Favorite Airs with Variations (London, no date); • Air de Marlborough (cello, doublebass)/(violin, cello) Op. 13 (1783); • Petits airs variés, hpd, Op. 36 (c. 1795), lost; • 12 petits airs, cello (1799),?arr. of Op. 36 • Allegro First Movement from Concertino

• Partial English translation (?1810).