This composer was born 15 March 1773 in Versailles and died 28 July 1845 in Paris. His father was a military musician. François-René Gebauer was trained by his brothers Joseph (oboe) and François Devienne (fagot). At the age of fifteen, he joined Garde suisse of Versailles playing the fagot and soon followed his brother playing at the Musique de la garde nationale de Paris. In 1795, he became teacher for fagot at the Conservatoire in Paris, working there until 1802 and from 1824 to 1838. He was employed at the Grande Opera about 1800. The compositions of Gebauer include thirteen concerti for fagot, eight symponies and numerous chamber music pieces with and for wind instruments.
Quartets op.20/1 - 3 for flute, clarinet or oboe, horn and bassoon
Quartet op. 20 No. 1 F major
Gebauers Trois Quatuors concertant op.20 for flute, clarinet or oboe, horn and bassoon is its first work for this instrumentation. Rests in this instrumentation should follow. It just composed for the classic woodwind quintet (flute, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon) later. Pariser Verlag is the work on hand in it printed by Ignaz Pleyel with the plate number 232 for the first time been. On the pressure Gebauer describes itself as a "Du Conservatoire de Musique".
A striking feature of these quartets op.20 is the excellent treatment of the bassoon next to the very well-informed movement of the windplayers. Fortunately Gebauer avoids, however, extreme solo difficulties in its composition and lets to play the musical amateurs the possibility, its works therefore also (in the best meaning). Gebauer particularly makes a note, that to its composition the voice also can be played to the clarinet by an oboe. At a double notation the upper voice is respectively that one of the oboe. The original notation of the clarinet is in C, a vote for clarinet still was edited in addition in B in the new edition on hand. 3 became for the 3rd quartet op.20/edits the original horn in g of also a part for horn in F.
