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

Complete PDF score, 10 pages, including standard notation and the corresponding tab notation, plus precise left hand - right hand original fingering for easy read.
Available also in GuitarPro 5&6 formats. The great advantage of these two formats is that you can listen to the piece played by the sofware dynamically (I painstainkingly added the dynamics myself throughout the whole score), plus other nuances like ligados and slides, to give a better understanding and aire of the whole piece.
(email me at teodorov[at]gmail.com for a quote).
Enjoy! .

A medley of four Christmas carols of French Origin: No�l nouvelet (Sing We Now of Christmas), Un flambeau, Jeanette, Isabelle (Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabelle), Il est n�, le divin enfant (He Is Born, the Holy Child), and Minuit, chr�tiens (O Holy Night). Arranged as a "fantasy-sonata" the first movement is driving, the second is a sweet lilting waltz, the third is a lighthearted take on the melody that alternates between "jaunty" and "solemn" (briefly employing bitonal harmonization) before launching into a blues variation. The finale is a "slow R&B" reimagining of O Holy Night that can be thought of somewhat as the love ballad reprise at the end of a Disney movie.

The trio lasts 9 minutes, and is suitable as a prelude or postlude for a church service or as part of a holiday recital. The difficulty is advanced, though the writing is simple enough that it should be able to be put together with minimal rehearsal time.

For more information, please contact graham.yates@gmail.com

25 selected Christmas Duets for Trumpet/Cornet or Trombone/Euphonium treble clef - VOL.2.
Easy for beginner - intermediate, comfortable range and keys.
Contents titles: Adeste Fideles - As Lately We Watched -Auld Lang Syne - Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabelle - Children, Go Where I Send Thee - Coventry Carol, The - Ding Dong Merrily on High - Friendly Beasts, The - Go Tell it on the Mountain - Good King Wenceslas - Holly and the Ivy, The - I saw three ships - In Notte Placida - It Came Upon the Midnight Clear - Joy to The World - Lullaby - O Sanctissima - Once in Royal David's City - Patapan - Ring Out, Wild Bells - Sans Day Carol - Tu scendi dalle stelle - Up on the Housetop - We Wish you a Merry Christmas - Winter's Snow.

25 selected Christmas Duets for altos or tenors saxes VOL.2. Easy for beginner - intermediate, comfortable range and keys.
Contents titles: Adeste Fideles - As Lately We Watched -Auld Lang Syne - Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabelle - Children, Go Where I Send Thee - Coventry Carol, The - Ding Dong Merrily on High - Friendly Beasts, The - Go Tell it on the Mountain - Good King Wenceslas - Holly and the Ivy, The - I saw three ships - In Notte Placida - It Came Upon the Midnight Clear - Joy to The World - Lullaby - O Sanctissima - Once in Royal David's City - Patapan - Ring Out, Wild Bells - Sans Day Carol - Tu scendi dalle stelle - Up on the Housetop - We Wish you a Merry Christmas - Winter's Snow.