18th century Czech classical composer and organist František Xaver Brixi

František Xaver Brixi was a Czech classical composer and organist of the 18th century whose work is popular to this day.

František Xaver Brixi, born 290 years ago on January 2, was one of the most productive, but also most popular Czech and Central European composers in the time before the advent of the First Viennese School. Although he died prematurely at the age of 39 he composed close to 400 works, among them cantatas and oratorios, chamber music, concertos, symphonies, masses and vespers. His organ concertos, which have been recorded several times each, are his best-known pieces today.

His style with its fresh melodic sound, vivacious rhythm, lively bass lines and simple yet powerful instrumentation distinguished him from his contemporaries. During his lifetime his music was widely disseminated in Bohemia and Moravia and remained highly popular until the beginning of the 19th century. It was rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th century and many of his works have become a fixture in the repertoire of Czech chamber ensembles.  According to some experts, the later success of Mozart's music in Prague is related to Brixi's earlier popularity. In todays program we are offering you a selection from his symphonies.