Charles Bochsa's biographical dates are difficult to establish from the scholarly literature. Some sources give his date of birth as around 1760. Where he received his musical education is unknown. He seems to have first served as an oboist in a military regiment before moving to the Grand Théâtre of Lyon as an oboist.
His son, Robert Nicolas Charles Bochsa, was born on 9 August 1789 in Montmédy and later became a celebrated harp virtuoso of his time. After his post in Lyon, Charles Bochsa appears to have moved to a similar position in Bordeaux. In 1806 he came to Paris, where he set up a music shop and his own publishing house at Rue Vivienne N° 25.
There he also published his own compositions, signing the prints "Charles Bochsa Père" to distinguish himself from his son. His compositions include quartets for clarinet and string trio, quartets for oboe and string trio, and duos for two oboes, along with two instructional methods: a Méthode de flûte avec des airs and a Méthode de clarinette. Bochsa died in Paris in 1821.
Serenade Op. 12
12 Short Pieces (Petits Airs) for Flute, Oboe (or Clarinet), Horn and Bassoon
The present work
Douze Petits Airs / en Quatuor / ou Serenade / Pour Flûte, Hautbois ou Clarinette, Cor et Basson / composés et dédiés / aux Amateurs / de la Société Philharmonique de Lyon / par Ch.les Bochsa Père / 1re Suite – Œuvre 12
was published around 1810 by Bochsa's own firm. Some of the pieces are arrangements of works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (e.g. from The Magic Flute). The oboe part can equally well be played on a clarinet; an additional clarinet part in B♭ is included with the edition for this purpose.
