Jean Daniel Braun is not a composer whose works are widely performed, nor is there much information about his life and compositions. The date and location of his birth are not well documented, but it is thought that he was born in Alsace, the eastern-most region of France. His death was recorded as occurring on April 2, 1738, making his birth likely in the late 17thcentury. In his autobiography, Johann Joachim Quantz mentions meeting Jean Daniel Braun and his brother, Jean Fr�d�ric Braun, during his six-month visit to Paris between August 1726 and March 1727, which is really the only affirmative mention about Braun and his activities during his lifetime. In addition to being active as a flutist and composer, Jean Daniel Braun was also a music publisher in Paris, the result of his receiving a ten-year royal privilege to print several of his own works. This royal privilege, which served as an early form of copyright, allowed him to publish his first collection; a set of Sonatas for Flute with Basso Continuo in 1728. He went on to publish ten more collections of his own compositions, the majority of which were for flute and continuo, with some notable exceptions, including a set of 6 sonatas for two bassoons or other bass instruments. Jean Daniel did not personally publish the last volume of his works, Sonata a fl�te traversi�re et basse suivie de differentes pi�ces sans basse[1]it is thought that Jean Fr�d�ric Braun discovered the manuscript, assumed them to be composed by his brother, and saw them to publication under his brother?s name.[2]

These suites, while not originally written for cello, sound well-suited to the instrument and present some unique technical challenges that do not normally present themselves in the cello repertoire, including multiple rapid shifts in quick succession and rapid large interval leaps. In the 18th century, it was very common for works to be transcribed for and performed on other instruments. Braun's novel use of a treble clef in one key and a bass clef in another at the beginning line of each of the 5 suites (the 2nd Suite excepted, however, it does have a note for bass instruments to transpose to the appropriate key at the beginning), is proof that Braun did not have a single instrument in mind for these suite. It is therefore fitting that these suites should and can be performed on the cello.

There are two versions of the suites in this edition. The first is as it appears in the edition at the Bibliotheque Nationale de France (Paris). The bowed version provides the editors suggested bowings that are more suited to performance on cello.



[1]David A Wells, liner notes from Twenty Four Solos by Jean-Daniel Braun, Nadina Makie Jackson, 2011
[2]Jean Daniel Braun, Sonata a fl�te trabersi�re et basse suivie de differentes pi�ces sans basse. Paris 1740

Foreword by Marcello Castellani, tr. Elsa and Amedeo Stolfi, and Aaron Haas

Archivum Musicum: L?Art de la fl�te traversi�reVol. 23 Florence: Studio Per Edizioni Scelte, 1982

Ready to build your cello technique? These workouts will help your left-hand fingers get stronger, move faster, and play more in tune. The right hand works on detache, spiccato, staccato, string crossing, and more!

Four pages in each key help you focus on learning the finger patterns and extensions in that key. This book gives you exercises in the keys of C, G, F, D, and B-flat major.

Adding one or more pages of this book to the beginning of your practice can help your cello practice be both more efficient andmore effective.

Who this book can help: Beginning cellists who know most of the notes in first position. A prior knowledge of extended first position is helpful.

How to use this book: This book could be the very first thing you play after you sit down to practice! Play 1-4 pages a day, as time allows. Play slowly at first, focusing on good form, clear tone, and good intonation.

by Cassia Harvey

21 pages

Level: Late-Beginning or Early-Intermediate. Extended first position is included.