Joseph Bologne (1745-1799)

Nationality: French | Caribbean | Afro-Caribbean

Born: December 25, 1745, Baillif, Guadeloupe Died: June 9, 1799, Paris (age 53)

wikipedia | imslp

String Quartet in B-flat major, 6 Quartetto concertans "Au gout du jour", No. 1

(for 2 violins, viola and cello)

		I.	Allegro assai
		II.	Gratioso

Duration: 9 minutes (approximately)

Published: 1777-1779, Durieu (age 31-34)

allegro [I]—fast, lively tempo. From the Italian word for cheerful or gay.
assai—very much. Intensifies the direction of its neighboring words, e.g. "allegro assai", very fast
chamber music, Kammermusik [G], musique de chambre [F], musica da camera [I], musica cameralis [L]—"Classical Music" for a small ensemble, generally 8 or fewer players with a canonical emphasis on 3-6 players. explore
concertante [I], concertant, concertans—in the manner of a concerto, e.g. individual instruments within the ensemble enjoy featured solos; playing against each other with brilliant display
grazioso [I], con grazia, gratioso, graziös [G], Mit Grazie—graceful, gracefully; easy
quartet, quatuor [F], quartett [G], quartetto [I], cuarteto [S]—ensemble or work for four players the most important examples being the string quartet and the piano quartet
string quartet, Streichquartett [G], quatuor à cordes [F], quartetto d'archi [I], quartetto di cordi [I], cuarteto de cuerda [S], vonósnégyes [H]—an ensemble as well as music written for that ensemble comprising 2 violins, viola and cello. This is one of the essential genres / forms / ensembles of chamber music and arguably a critical "core" of "classical" music.
Explore the string quartet.