In 1766, François-Joseph Gossec (1734–1829) dedicated his trio sonatas to the Chevalier de Saint-Georges, whose music tutor he had been. At the time, he was in the service of the Prince of Condé at Chantilly and had already composed his major works: the Requiem, his symphonies, and more. He offered these chamber pieces for two violins and cello to the Chevalier, a discerning amateur and virtuoso violinist. It was indeed the Chevalier de Saint-Georges who would become the principal violinist of the Concert des Amateurs, founded by Gossec at the Hôtel des Soubises in 1769. These trio sonatas of opus IX, magnificently written for the instruments, greatly appealed to chamber ensembles, who found in them an original, varied and brilliant repertoire. The last three (nos. 4 to 6), all quite beautiful, can be played, as Gossec himself specifies, by full orchestra: this format will appeal to string orchestras lacking violas, and especially to orchestras of music schools. These works are ideal for discovering a subtle classical repertoire, foreshadowing pre-Romanticism to a surprising degree.