Frantisek Vaclav Mica

born: 1694-09-05
died: 1744-02-15
birthplace: Trebic
diedplace: Jaromerice nad Rokytnou

Czech composer, chamberlain and conductor at Jaromerice Castle. He got basic musical education from his father, organist at Jaromerice. He served to Count Questenberk with whom he left to Vienna. There he played in his orchestra and gained more musical education. After his return to Jaromerice in 1723 he organized musical performances and acted at the same time as conductor and tenor singer. He was a hardworking composer; unfortunately, much of his work got lost. His opera O puvodu Jaromeric (On the Origin of Jaromerice) is the oldest preserved Czech-composed opera; its libretto is both in Italian and Czech. In his work he followed italian baroque composers (Bassai, Carissimi, Caldara) but he also contributed to the development of classic sonata form in his symphonic music. By now there have been disputes among musical historians about the authorship of the Symphony in D. The manuscript was signed Mitcha and after its appearance, it was dedicated to F.V. Mica. However, the sonata shape of the first part is so precise and modern that Mica as the author would be the founder of classical sonata form before Haydn and Mozart. It seems more likely that the real author is his nephew, Frantisek Adam Mica Or at least, he might have rewritten the work originally done by his uncle).

Work:

• Operas
• Opera bez nazvu , 1729
• O puvodu Jaromeric , 1730
• ballet inserts and italian opera arias
• Congratulation and celebration cantatas
• Bellezza e Decoro , 1729
• Nel giorno natalizio , 1732
• Theatral Festl , 1734
• Operosa terni Colossi Moles , 1735
• Ctyri zivlove etc.
• Oratorios
• Kratke rozjimani , 1728
• Obvinena nevinost , 1729
• Oefteter Ansioss , 1730
• Zpivana rozjimani , 1737

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