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

The present work probably dates from the mid-1770s and was doubtless composed by Saint-Georges for performance with the Concert des Amateurs. Unusually for Saint-Georges, who typically issued his concertos in pairs, the work was published alone, by Henry, as Concerto No.9, Op.8. The title page of the print reads: 'IXE. / CONCERTO / POUR LE VIOLON / Compos / Par Monsieur / DE ST. GEORGE / OEuvre VIII. / Grav par Mme Lobry ... A PARIS / Chez Mr. Henry...' No instrumentation is specified on the title page; but the work appears to have been scored for strings only. This edition is based on a copy of the Henry print now preserved in the Bibliothque Nationale de France under the shelfmark R.45.405. The print is for the most part reasonably accurate although there are the usual instances of careless engraving, some of which may be due to unclear instructions in the copy used by the engraver to prepare the plates. In the absence of both the autograph score and an authentic set of parts, this edition presents as faithfully as possible the intentions of the composer as transmitted in Henry's print. The style and notation of articulation and dynamic markings have been standardised throughout, and, where missing, markings have been reconstructed from parallel passages. These are indicated by the use of dotted slurs or brackets where appropriate. Like most eighteenth century sources, the Henry print is inconsistent at times in its notation of appoggiature ; these too have been standardised to minimise confusion. Obvious wrong notes have been corrected without comment; editorial emendations with no authority from the source are placed within brackets. Allan Badley