Boismortier, Joseph Bodin de - Six Sonatas op. 29

In 1730, Boismortier wrote and published three sets of sonatas which, in spite of title pages that propose performance on various instruments, were conceived for the oboe — six trio sonatas for two oboes and continuo, Op. 28; six sonatas for two oboes without bass, Op. 29; and six sonatas (followed by a chaconne) for solo oboe and continuo, Op. 32. In terms of their instrumentation, these works were the first of their kind to be published in France, while Op. 29 may well have been the very first set of sonatas written specifically for two oboes without bass ever to appear in print. Similar in style and form to the various sets of sonatas for two flutes without bass that Boismortier had already published prior to 1730, Op. 29 also drew inspiration from the relationship between the oboe and the military that had existed since the time of Lully. These virtually unknown sonatas are more than competently written for the baroque (and modern) instrument, and constitute a hitherto neglected treasure in the sparse repertory of works intended for a pair of unaccompanied oboes.