Frantisek Benda (1709 Benatky nad Jizerou-1786 Potsdam)

excellent Czech violinist and composer; brother of Jiri Antonin Benda. He came from the family of weavers and musicians; he got his musical education in Benatky and Prague singing in choirs and playing the violin. Further experience he got on his travels abroad - Vienna, Dresden, Warsaw and finally Berlin. There he became the bandmaster at the court of the Prussian King Friedrich II. On his demand, the king helped him to move his parents and siblings to Berlin as they suffered from the religious oppression. As a composer, Benda was influenced by Italian baroque masters (Vivaldi, Tartini, Quantz, Graun), yet added elements of Czech traditional melodics and rhythms. He had never abandoned the baroque style but in his late violin compositions, elements of the new sonata form can be found.

Works:

• 15 concerts
• about 100 sonatas (mostly violin)
• chamber musica (string quartets, solo violin capriccios etc.)

Sources:

Wikipedia
Mala encyklopedie hudby (dr. Jar. Smolka; &kolektiv, Supraphon 1983)

Sample (MP3):
Concert for flute and orchestra in e minor - 1. Allegro con brio   ( Vox Bohemica live concert 26.5.2005 Cesky Brod)