Pavel Vranicky

(also written Paul Wranitzky) an important representative of Czech musical exile of the age of classicism, older brother of the composer Antonin Vranicky. Born in the family of an innkeeper, studied latin college in Nova Rise, later Jihlava. In Olomouc he studied philosophy, then he left for Vienna where he studied theology. Here he met Josef Martin Kraus, bandmaster of the opera in Stockholm, who taught him composition and persuaded him to concentrate fully on music. This Vranicky did in 1780 when he accepted the position of violinist in the band of Prince Esterhazy in Eisenstadt (the bandmaster there was J. Haydn). He stayed there for 5 years during which he became friends with Haydn and got a lot of valuable experience from him. In 1785 he was appointed the director of the two court theatres in Vienna. He was a friend of W.A.Mozart's (member of the same masonic lodge in Vienna) and Beethoven's (who asked him to conduct the premiere of his Symphony No. 1 in 1800). He helped Mozart's widow to publish the works of W.A.Mozart after his death.      Vranicky was a fertile and prominent composer of his times. He wrote not only for Prince Esterhazy but also for Maria Theresa on her personal demand befor her death (1780). J.W.Goethe asked him to write music on a text that was a continuation of Mozart's opera Magic Flute. His opera "Oberon, King of Elves" was a great success, being played on the occasion of the coronation of Leopold IInd the German Emperor. In the symphonies of Pavel Vranicky, elements of new coming romantic style can be found.

• 10 operas
• 51 symphonies
• violin concertos
• at least 56 string quartets
• sextets for flute, oboe, two viola and cello (some are adaptations of his own concerts)
• piano sonatas
• ballets
• cantatas

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