Saint-Georges, Joseph Bologne de (1745-1799)

The present quartets fall midway between these two
publications. Composed in 1777 (according to Gabriel Banat,
the best and most recent of Saint-Georges’ biographers)
the Six Quartetto concertans were issued two years later in
a breathtakingly inaccurate edition by Durieu: ‘AU GOUT
DU JOUR / SIX QUARTETTO / CONCERTANS / POUR /
deux Violons, Alto, et Basse / PAR / MR. DE ST. GEORGE. /
OEUVRE / Gravée par Melle Fleury. / Prix 9ll / A PARIS / Chez
Mr. Durieu, Musicien, et Editeur, Rue Dauphine, à côte de la
Rue Christine, au Goût du Jour. / Et aux Adresses Ordinaires.
/ A.P.D.R.’ Given the unusually high number of errors and
inconsistencies in Durieu’s edition it seems most unlikely
that Saint-Georges was involved in its preparation. No other
edition of the quartets is known although a second printing
of the set using the same plates was made ca 1782.

Quartet I in B ♭ major
Quartet II in G minor
Quartet III in C major
Quartet IV in F major
Quartet V in G major
Quartet VI in B ♭ major