Giovanni Punto - Quartet No.3 op.18 in E major for horn, violin, viola and cello
The present Quartetto No. 3 op. 18 comes from a print of 3 quartets that was published by Vogt in Paris around 1795.
The title is
Trios Quatuors / Fovoris de l’Auteur / Pour Cor, Violon / Alto et Basse / Dediee / a Madame Hainguerlot / et Composèe par / Giov. Punto
The Hainguerlot family were bankers and business people, and in this case they appeared as patrons for the printing. If Basso is mentioned in the printed title, the name of the part is violoncello. The title Quatuor also differs from the designation Quartetto in the individual parts.
Almost at the same time, Op. 18 as an edition for flute, violin, viola and violoncello. Vogt et la Vve Goudens was already operating there as a publisher.
Giovanni Punto, or as he was actually called Jan Vaclav Stich / Johann Wenzel Stich, was born on September 28, 1746 in Zehusice / Caslav, 75 km southeast of Prague. He was one of "the" great horn virtuosos of the 18th century and is one of the many well-known Bohemian musicians who fled their homeland. His parents were serfs of Count Thun. This let stitch train on the horn. First he had lessons with Joseph Matiega in Prague (with vocal training), then lessons with Haudek & Hampel in Dresden. In 1768, Stich escaped from the serfdom of Count Thun and called himself Giovanni Punto both for camouflage and for better musical "marketing". This was followed by a brief employment in 1768 in Hechingen in the Hohenzollern service, from 1769 to 1774 he was in the service of the Elector of Mainz, then employed in Würzburg until 1780. From 1769, Punto made numerous art tours throughout Europe and established his world fame. Mozart heard Punto during his stay in Paris and was enthusiastic. From 1781, Punto played in the chapel of Count Artois in Paris with a lifelong pension guarantee. During the French Revolution 1795-97 he was orchestra director at the "Variete Theater" in Paris. He left Paris in 1799. In 1800 he gave concerts in Vienna and Budapest with Beethoven (Sonata op.17). In 1801, Punto returned to Prague triumphantly. Giovanni Punto died February 16, 1803 in Prague of "dropsy of the chest", a very common wind disease at the time.
