Trois Duo Concertans Pour Pistons – Bellon (music) [digital download]

Description

(Music PDF) [Digital Download version]  FREE DOWNLOAD FOR LIMITED TIME ONLY

To mark the release of The Dynamic Duo album (audio) from John Wallace and John Miller, we are delighted to provide you with a free downloadable PDF of the Bellon duets included on the recording.  Credit: This is a facsimile of an original copy held by Bibliotheque National de France.

Programme Notes

by Sandy Coffin

Jean-François Bellon was a French violinist, conductor, composer, and inventor. He was born in Lyon, France on 30 May 1795. By 1822, Bellon was enrolled in the Paris Conservatoire, studying violin with Rodolphe Kreutzer. He was awarded a 2me prix for violin in 1822 and the 1er prix in 1823. He also studied composition with Anton Reicha. Bellon served as the chef de musique at the Théâtre Gaieté in Paris from 1829-32, during which time he composed music for at least 3 theatre productions. He then became the concertmaster of the Concerts Musard orchestra from 1833. The renowned cornetist Louis Dufrène also worked in the Concerts Musard and may have influenced Bellon to write for the newly emerging chromatic brass instruments.

Bellon deposited his Trois Duos concertans pour Pistons, Oeuvre 17 with the director of the Conservatoire library in April 1834, a standard practice for new musical compositions. They are dedicated ‘to the Amateurs’ and the cover includes a note of intention that reads:

Note: These three Duos, which can be played on [cornet à] piston or horn, will be followed by seven other volumes, three Duos each, of progressive difficulty.

Each duo is in three movements, of which one is an Andante and the third of which is always a Rondo. The second movements of all three duos are in some form of compound meter (6/8 and 3/8); in the third duo, it is labelled Barcarolle. These are playable on instruments with 2 or 3 valves; there are only two instances, both in the Rondo of the second Duo, for which a third valve would generally be used. These duos have didactic as well as musical intent, presenting musical challenges useful for developing the ensemble skills of each player.

No further volumes of Duos have yet been positively identified. Saint-Jacome included five of the nine movements of this volume, without attribution and with only a few slight modifications, among the duets of Book 2 of his New and Modern Grand Method for the Cornet à Pistons, so these works were certainly known and used during Bellon’s lifetime. Bellon went on to write his 12 Quintettes for brass (published 1851), and numerous other works that included brass, using some ideas that are presented here.

Trois Duo Concertans Pour Pistons, Op. 17 (1834)
Jean-François Bellon (1795-1869)

Comprising:

1er DUO

1. Allegro moderato
2. Andante

iii. Rondo

2me DUO

1. Maestoso
2. Andante

iii. Rondo

3me DUO

1. Andante
2. Barcarolle 

iii. Rondo Menuetto