Czechs in Vienna (Krommer-Kramář F.V., Jírovec V., Koželuh L.A., Vaňhal J.K.)

František Vincenc Kramář - Krommer (1759-1831) - Trio in F Major, Op.32 for viola, cello and piano 22:47

1. Allegro moderato 10:00

2. Adagio 6:50

3. Rondo. Allegro 5:52

Vojtěch Jírovec (1763-1850) - Notturno in E-flat Major for violin, cello and piano 15:20

4. Larghetto 3:14

5. Menuetto 3:52

6. Savoyard. Allegretto 2:36

7. Pollacka 1:47

8. Allegretto 3:41

Leopold Antonín Koželuh (Koželuch) (1747-1818) - Sonata in G minor, Op. 12 Nr. 3 for piano, violin and cello 18:00

9. Allegro 8:34

10. Adagio 4:38

11. Allegro 4:41

Jan Křtitel Vaňhal (1737-1813) - Sonata in A Major for piano, violin and cello 9:05

12. Allegro moderato 3:06

13. Andante 2:47

14. Allegro 3:08

Total time 65:35

Czech Baroque Trio:

Martin Jakubíček - fortepiano, copy Walter 1795 - Kobald brothers (Nl)

Antonín Rous - violin, J.B. Vuillaume, viola, F.C. Kříž

Jan Škrdlík - cello, A.E. Homolka, 1842, Bows: G. Landwehr (Nl)

In the 17th and 18th centuries, many musicians from Bohemia found work outside their native country. In the field of piano compositions, the most important composers included Josef Antonín Štěpán (Joseph Anton Steffan or Stephan), a composer of singspiels

and ballets, Pavel Vranický (Paul Wranitzky) and his brother Antonín (Anton), Leopold Koželuh (also Koželuch), František Vincenc Kramář (Franz Vincenz Krommer), Vojtěch Jírovec (Adalbert Gyrowetz), and Jan Křtitel Vaňhal (Johann Baptist Wanhal).

The name of František Vincenc Kramář is connected with the figure of Joseph Haydn, for the former had come to know his music even in his youth in Bohemia. After he left his native region, he worked in Hungary for some time, and later in Vienna, as the concert master of Count Grassalkowich's orchestra. He succeeded Leopold Koželuh at the Viennese court. He achieved international recognition, having been awarded the title of an honorary member of the conservatories in Paris and Milan, and of many societies...

Still as a boy, Leopold Koželuh came to Prague where he studied at the University, and he also studied composition with Franz Xaver Dušek. His chamber music forms an important part of his works: we can find features in it which herald Beethoven's or even Schubert's compositions. From 1784 he had his own publishing house in Vienna, which produced, among others, the compositions by Haydn, Mozart, but also his Czech contemporaries - František Vincenc Kramář and Jan Křtitel Vaňhal...

Jan Křtitel Vaňhal worked as an organist in native Bohemia for several years before he moved to Vienna, where he studied with Karl Dittersdorf (among others). He gathered more experience in Italy and he also taught. In 1791, Vaňhal's symphony was performed at a concert in Cambridge, which was concluded by Haydn's symphony... (from booklet)

(Studio Matouš)