Kraus

Joseph Martin Kraus was one of the most talented and progressive composers of the 18th century, and regarded by Haydn as one of the only two geniuses he knew, alongside Mozart. Following the successful audition of his opera Proserpin, Kraus became closely associated with the court of Gustav III in Stockholm. The highly dramatic Begrafnings-kantat overture was the composer’s emotional response to the assassination of his sovereign. The vocal pieces include works performed for the first time in over two centuries, ranging from Italian concert arias to rare survivals from the Royal Dramatic Theatre.

Although he was known as the Swedish Mozart, Joseph Martin Kraus (1756-1792) was actually born in central Germany. Persuaded by a fellow law student to apply for a position in the Swedish court orchestra, he remained in the employ of King Gustav III until his death. Known primarily for his symphonies, he also wrote at least 8 String quartets, including the 4 on this disc.

The first volume of the Naxos Kraus cycle was honored in 1999 with the prestigious Cannes Classical Award, edging out puissant competition from the major recording companies as well as other independent labels. Owning and having heard that release and this disc's other sibling. I can easily see why. In this release as in the others, the Swedish Chamber Orchestra, guided by Petter Sundkvist's intuitive sense of line and pacing, is focused, accurate, and committed, resulting in emotionally charged readings, driven by burning passion. These sterling performances further unmask a composer whose musical thought and execution of it are clearly on a par with those of his better-known contemporaries.

Joseph Martin Kraus was born on 20 June 1756 in the German town of Miltenberg am Main, and died in Stockholm on 15 December 1792. Attended secondary school in Mannheim from 1768 to 1772, followed by university studies in Mainz, Erfurt and Göttingen from 1773−76. In 1778 he travelled to Stockholm, where he became a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music in 1780, and a year later the second conductor of the Royal Court Orchestra at the Royal Opera. In 1782 Gustav III dispatched him on a four-year tour of Europe. In 1788 he was made director of the educational institution of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music and chief conductor of the Royal Court Orchestra. Kraus is the most prominent figure in Gustavian music and was responsible for seminal works of opera, orchestral music and chamber music.

Nordic classicism and excellent performances by Mikael Helasvuo and the Rantatie Quartet. Kraus's lush and sensual flute quintet turns out to be like Mozart's flute quartets.

Nordic classicism and excellent performances by Mikael Helasvuo and the Rantatie Quartet. Kraus's lush and sensual flute quintet turns out to be like Mozart's flute quartets.

Kraus' last and greatest works, the Symphonie funebre and Funeral Cantata for Gustav III, are fully able to stand with the best works in the forms of the period, as great as the late symphonies of Haydn and Mozart and, yes, even as great as the Requiem of Mozart. Written under the overwhelming personal and national tragedy of the assassination of the King of Sweden then at the peak of its cultural and national greatness, Kraus' funeral music is numb with shock and wild with grief, but always completely controlled, masterfully balanced, and profoundly moving. If there are only two works you ever listen to by Kraus, let them be these two works.

Joseph Martin Kraus (1756-1792) is often referred to as the Swedish Mozart by popular literature. His style was influenced by the Sturm und Drang movement that he got acquainted with in his early years; the dramatic contrast and passion characterising his music can be attributed to this inspiration. Although he is considered to be a composer of stage music, he also composed a large number of instrumental pieces especially for orchestra and chamber orchestra.

German by birth and trained in Mannheim by Franz Xaver Richter, Joseph Martin Kraus is often referred to as the ‘Swedish Mozart’ both on the grounds of his undoubted musical genius and his employment at the brilliant court of Gustav III in Stockholm. Kraus’s career as a composer was relatively brief - probably little more than 15 years - but his mature works have a complexity expressive intensity which is quite unique. His death in 1792, like that of Mozart’s the previous year, must be accounted one of the great musical tragedies of the period.

Deux femmes et deux hommes : la parité est respectée pour ces quatre sonates à titre de Beethoven.