Greetings, wouldn't you say that in this case Violon is actually one of those small basses (coming from the Viol family)? Usually it has 3 strings and is pear shaped?
Hello - actually I doubt it, that would more likely be specified, and named Violone, or something else, as Violon definitely denotes Violin in French. Solo music for the Violone (a rather general name for a bass instrument of lower pitch than a cello) is rare, and if it were for violone, one would expect more of a deal to be made of it.
The fact that the solo part (like so many other French cello sonatas of the period) is written in the Treble clef (an old convention, intended to be played an octave below by the cello) means it can easily be played by violin too - so Duport (or the publisher!) was simply widening his potential buying-audience!
see Cervetto's duets for similar treble clef - violin/cello ambivalence : 6 Cello Duets, Op.5 (Cervetto, Giacobbe Basevi) and 3 Cello Duets, Op.6 (Cervetto, Giacobbe Basevi) and 40 Favorite Scotch Airs for Violin, Flute, or Cello (Gunn, John) --~~~~
