Joseph Martin Kraus (1756-1792)

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Episode

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First
Broadcast

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2021

Kraus Journeys To Sweden

20210125

Donald Macleod follows the young Joseph Kraus to Stockholm where he hopes to impress the Swedish king with his musical talents.

In a first for Composer of the Week, Donald Macleod surveys the life and music of Joseph Martin Kraus. Kraus has been called the Swedish Mozart; he was born in the same year as Mozart, in 1756, and survived him by just 12 months. Originally from Germany, Kraus found work as a composer based at the Swedish royal court and quickly came to be regarded as one of the leading music directors in all Europe. Haydn said that he knew of only two geniuses, Mozart and Joseph Martin Kraus.

His father was a town official in Buchen im Odenwald and Kraus was expected to follow a similar career path. He specialised in jurisprudence at university however his obvious musical talents were destined to take him in another direction. Although Kraus wasn't born in one of the main cities of Germany, he soon found himself being tutored by some of the best musicians in the land. By the age of ten he was learning the violin and composition from members of the famous Mannheim Court Orchestra. While still a student, Kraus published a set of six string quartets and, after graduation, he travelled to Sweden where he'd heard King Gustav III was a passionate champion of the arts. Before he left Germany, Kraus wrote to his parents with a list of his compositions to date, including six symphonies and six concertos.

Soliman II Overture

The Royal Opera of Sweden Orchestra

Philip Brunelle, conductor

Miserere in C minor, VB 4 (excerpt)

Annemei Blessing-Leyhausen, soprano

Paul Gerhardt Adam, alto

Deutscher Kammerchor

La Stagione Frankfurt

Michael Schneider, conductor

String Quartet in B flat major, VB 181

Salagon Quartet

Sinfonie in C major, with Violin obligato, VB 138

Concerto K怀ln

Werner Ehrhardt, conductor

Donald Macleod follows Kraus as he leaves his homeland to chase a career in music.

2021

Kraus, The Struggling Musician

20210126

Donald Macleod follows Kraus as he labours to realise his musical dreams in a foreign city, far from home.

Kraus had high hopes for his prospects after graduating in law from university and then heading to Sweden to seek fame and fortune as a musician. It was tough going, though, and Kraus would have to endure several long years of hardship before his perseverance paid off. When his breakthrough finally came, it wasn't long before he was rubbing shoulders with the greatest musical luminaries of the age, like Salieri, Gluck, Albrechtsberger, Vanhal and Haydn. On a visit to Vienna, Kraus was inducted into the same Masonic lodge as Mozart, who lived near to where Kraus was staying.

Proserpin, VB 19 (Overture)

Helsinki Baroque Orchestra

Aapo H䀀kkinen, conductor

Azire, VB 18 (excerpt)

New Zealand Symphony Orchestra

Uwe Grodd, conductor

Sinfonie in C minor

Concerto K怀ln

Werner Ehrhardt, conductor

Flute Quintet (Largo & Allegro con brio)

Aur耀le Nicolet, flute

Athenaeum Enesco String Quartet

Donald Macleod explores the early career of Joseph Martin Kraus.

2021

Kraus And His Grand Tour

20210127

Donald Macleod finds Joseph Martin Kraus making musical friends right across Europe, as he undertakes an all-expenses-paid, five-year excursion around the continent.

In 1783, Joseph Kraus was mid-way through his Grand Tour, funded by King Gustav III of Sweden, when a letter arrived instructing Kraus to join his patron in Italy. Kraus was introduced to Pope Pius VI and also met the famed musical friar, Padre Martini. Martini insisted that Kraus had his portrait painted to join the gallery of important living composers that Martini was amassing. Kraus next made his way to France and stayed in Paris longer than he intended. It seems that, back in Sweden, various intrigues were under way and there was now a question as to whether Kraus would be allowed to return to his home in Stockholm.

La Pesca, VB 44

Simone Kermes, soprano

L'Arte Del Mondo

Werner Ehrhardt

Symphony in E flat major, VB 144

Concerto K怀ln

Werner Ehrhardt, conductor

La Tempesta, VB 63 (Ma tut remi)

Monica Groop, mezzo-soprano

Helsinki Baroque Orchestra

Aapo H䀀kkinen, conductor

Du temps, qui d退truit tout, VB 58

Sonata in E flat major, VB 195 (Allegro ma non troppo presto)

Alexandra Oehler, piano

Donald Macleod finds Joseph Martin Kraus making musical friends right across Europe.

2021

Kraus And A Professional Rivalry

20210128

Donald Macleod sees Kraus challenged for his position as the top musician at the Swedish court.

Kraus returned to Stockholm in 1786 after an extended Grand Tour of Europe where he had made connections with many of the great composers of the age and encountered their music. He'd also extended his own reputation, and one German journal listed him as one of the six most important composers alive, alongside Mozart and Haydn. All was not well, however, back in Sweden where he now had a rival for his position at court: the composer Abb退 Vogler. The situation continued for some years until Vogler was finally dismissed and Kraus could take rightful place, unchallenged. Kraus would eventually be appointed Music Director to the Swedish Court and it was during this period that he really started to make his mark as a composer of opera.

Riksdagsmarsch, VB 154

Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment

Anthony Halstead, conductor

Piano Sonata in E major, VB 196 (Vivace)

Ronald Brautigam, fortepiano

Soliman II (excerpts from Act II (Nr.6) & Act III (Nr.16-19))

Lena Hoel (Delia), soprano

Barbro րrtendahl-Corin (Roxelane), soprano

Tord Wallstr怀m (The Mufti), baritone

Bengt-Ola Morgny (The Dervish), tenor

Chorus and Orchestra of The Royal Opera of Sweden

Philip Brunelle, conductor

Funeral Cantata (Part One)

Hillevi Martinpelto, soprano

Christina H怀gman, mezzo-soprano

Claes-H倀kan Ahnsj怀, tenor

Thomas Lander, baritone

Uppsala University Chamber Choir

The Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble

Stefan Parkman, conductor

Donald Macleod sees Kraus challenged for his position at the Swedish court.

2021

05 LAST

Kraus And A Royal Assassination

20210129

Donald Macleod delves into the final tragic years for King Gustav III and his kapellmeister, Joseph Kraus.

By the 1790s, Kraus's works for the stage were immensely celebrated and his legacy as one of the great composers of the age seemed assured. However, all of this was to come crashing down in a series of horrible episodes. First came the assassination of his patron, King Gustav III of Sweden. The king had been a loyal supporter of Kraus and to mark the passing of his employer Kraus composed a Funeral Cantata and a Funeral Symphony. The Prince Regent who took up the reins of power was also a fan of Kraus, but very soon tragedy would strike once more. A year after the death of the King, Kraus himself fell sick and died at the tragically young age of 36. Another blow came some thirty or so years later, when a fire at the Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm destroyed the manuscripts of many of his celebrated works for the stage. The Swedish Mozart was quickly forgotten.

Cantata La Gelosia, VB46 (excerpt)

Simone Kermes

L'Arte del Mondo

Werner Erhardt

Symphony in C minor, VB 148 (Symphonie fun耀bre)

Swedish Chamber Orchestra

Petter Sundkvist, conductor

Funeral Cantata (Part Two)

Hillevi Martinpelto, soprano

Christina H怀gman, mezzo-soprano

Claes-H倀kan Ahnsj怀, tenor

Thomas Lander, baritone

Uppsala University Chamber Choir

The Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble

Stefan Parkman, conductor

String Quartet in E major, VB 180 (Allegretto)

Salagon Quartet

Donald Macleod explores Joseph Kraus's final years.

Episodes

Series	Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Comments
2021	01	Kraus Journeys To Sweden	20210125	Donald Macleod follows the young Joseph Kraus to Stockholm where he hopes to impress the Swedish king with his musical talents. In a first for Composer of the Week, Donald Macleod surveys the life and music of Joseph Martin Kraus. Kraus has been called the Swedish Mozart; he was born in the same year as Mozart, in 1756, and survived him by just 12 months. Originally from Germany, Kraus found work as a composer based at the Swedish royal court and quickly came to be regarded as one of the leading music directors in all Europe. Haydn said that he knew of only two geniuses, Mozart and Joseph Martin Kraus. His father was a town official in Buchen im Odenwald and Kraus was expected to follow a similar career path. He specialised in jurisprudence at university however his obvious musical talents were destined to take him in another direction. Although Kraus wasn't born in one of the main cities of Germany, he soon found himself being tutored by some of the best musicians in the land. By the age of ten he was learning the violin and composition from members of the famous Mannheim Court Orchestra. While still a student, Kraus published a set of six string quartets and, after graduation, he travelled to Sweden where he'd heard King Gustav III was a passionate champion of the arts. Before he left Germany, Kraus wrote to his parents with a list of his compositions to date, including six symphonies and six concertos. Soliman II Overture The Royal Opera of Sweden Orchestra Philip Brunelle, conductor Miserere in C minor, VB 4 (excerpt) Annemei Blessing-Leyhausen, soprano Paul Gerhardt Adam, alto Deutscher Kammerchor La Stagione Frankfurt Michael Schneider, conductor String Quartet in B flat major, VB 181 Salagon Quartet Sinfonie in C major, with Violin obligato, VB 138 Concerto K怀ln Werner Ehrhardt, conductor Donald Macleod follows Kraus as he leaves his homeland to chase a career in music.
2021	02	Kraus, The Struggling Musician	20210126	Donald Macleod follows Kraus as he labours to realise his musical dreams in a foreign city, far from home. In a first for Composer of the Week, Donald Macleod surveys the life and music of Joseph Martin Kraus. Kraus has been called the Swedish Mozart; he was born in the same year as Mozart, in 1756, and survived him by just 12 months. Originally from Germany, Kraus found work as a composer based at the Swedish royal court and quickly came to be regarded as one of the leading music directors in all Europe. Haydn said that he knew of only two geniuses, Mozart and Joseph Martin Kraus. Kraus had high hopes for his prospects after graduating in law from university and then heading to Sweden to seek fame and fortune as a musician. It was tough going, though, and Kraus would have to endure several long years of hardship before his perseverance paid off. When his breakthrough finally came, it wasn't long before he was rubbing shoulders with the greatest musical luminaries of the age, like Salieri, Gluck, Albrechtsberger, Vanhal and Haydn. On a visit to Vienna, Kraus was inducted into the same Masonic lodge as Mozart, who lived near to where Kraus was staying. Proserpin, VB 19 (Overture) Helsinki Baroque Orchestra Aapo H䀀kkinen, conductor Azire, VB 18 (excerpt) New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Uwe Grodd, conductor Sinfonie in C minor Concerto K怀ln Werner Ehrhardt, conductor Flute Quintet (Largo & Allegro con brio) Aur耀le Nicolet, flute Athenaeum Enesco String Quartet Donald Macleod explores the early career of Joseph Martin Kraus.
2021	03	Kraus And His Grand Tour	20210127	Donald Macleod finds Joseph Martin Kraus making musical friends right across Europe, as he undertakes an all-expenses-paid, five-year excursion around the continent. In a first for Composer of the Week, Donald Macleod surveys the life and music of Joseph Martin Kraus. Kraus has been called the Swedish Mozart; he was born in the same year as Mozart, in 1756, and survived him by just 12 months. Originally from Germany, Kraus found work as a composer based at the Swedish royal court and quickly came to be regarded as one of the leading music directors in all Europe. Haydn said that he knew of only two geniuses, Mozart and Joseph Martin Kraus. In 1783, Joseph Kraus was mid-way through his Grand Tour, funded by King Gustav III of Sweden, when a letter arrived instructing Kraus to join his patron in Italy. Kraus was introduced to Pope Pius VI and also met the famed musical friar, Padre Martini. Martini insisted that Kraus had his portrait painted to join the gallery of important living composers that Martini was amassing. Kraus next made his way to France and stayed in Paris longer than he intended. It seems that, back in Sweden, various intrigues were under way and there was now a question as to whether Kraus would be allowed to return to his home in Stockholm. La Pesca, VB 44 Simone Kermes, soprano L'Arte Del Mondo Werner Ehrhardt Symphony in E flat major, VB 144 Concerto K怀ln Werner Ehrhardt, conductor La Tempesta, VB 63 (Ma tut remi) Monica Groop, mezzo-soprano Helsinki Baroque Orchestra Aapo H䀀kkinen, conductor Du temps, qui d退truit tout, VB 58 Sonata in E flat major, VB 195 (Allegro ma non troppo presto) Alexandra Oehler, piano Donald Macleod finds Joseph Martin Kraus making musical friends right across Europe.
2021	04	Kraus And A Professional Rivalry	20210128	Donald Macleod sees Kraus challenged for his position as the top musician at the Swedish court. In a first for Composer of the Week, Donald Macleod surveys the life and music of Joseph Martin Kraus. Kraus has been called the Swedish Mozart; he was born in the same year as Mozart, in 1756, and survived him by just 12 months. Originally from Germany, Kraus found work as a composer based at the Swedish royal court and quickly came to be regarded as one of the leading music directors in all Europe. Haydn said that he knew of only two geniuses, Mozart and Joseph Martin Kraus. Kraus returned to Stockholm in 1786 after an extended Grand Tour of Europe where he had made connections with many of the great composers of the age and encountered their music. He'd also extended his own reputation, and one German journal listed him as one of the six most important composers alive, alongside Mozart and Haydn. All was not well, however, back in Sweden where he now had a rival for his position at court: the composer Abb退 Vogler. The situation continued for some years until Vogler was finally dismissed and Kraus could take rightful place, unchallenged. Kraus would eventually be appointed Music Director to the Swedish Court and it was during this period that he really started to make his mark as a composer of opera. Riksdagsmarsch, VB 154 Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment Anthony Halstead, conductor Piano Sonata in E major, VB 196 (Vivace) Ronald Brautigam, fortepiano Soliman II (excerpts from Act II (Nr.6) & Act III (Nr.16-19)) Lena Hoel (Delia), soprano Barbro րrtendahl-Corin (Roxelane), soprano Tord Wallstr怀m (The Mufti), baritone Bengt-Ola Morgny (The Dervish), tenor Chorus and Orchestra of The Royal Opera of Sweden Philip Brunelle, conductor Funeral Cantata (Part One) Hillevi Martinpelto, soprano Christina H怀gman, mezzo-soprano Claes-H倀kan Ahnsj怀, tenor Thomas Lander, baritone Uppsala University Chamber Choir The Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble Stefan Parkman, conductor Donald Macleod sees Kraus challenged for his position at the Swedish court.
2021	05 LAST	Kraus And A Royal Assassination	20210129	Donald Macleod delves into the final tragic years for King Gustav III and his kapellmeister, Joseph Kraus. In a first for Composer of the Week, Donald Macleod surveys the life and music of Joseph Martin Kraus. Kraus has been called the Swedish Mozart; he was born in the same year as Mozart, in 1756, and survived him by just 12 months. Originally from Germany, Kraus found work as a composer based at the Swedish royal court and quickly came to be regarded as one of the leading music directors in all Europe. Haydn said that he knew of only two geniuses, Mozart and Joseph Martin Kraus. By the 1790s, Kraus's works for the stage were immensely celebrated and his legacy as one of the great composers of the age seemed assured. However, all of this was to come crashing down in a series of horrible episodes. First came the assassination of his patron, King Gustav III of Sweden. The king had been a loyal supporter of Kraus and to mark the passing of his employer Kraus composed a Funeral Cantata and a Funeral Symphony. The Prince Regent who took up the reins of power was also a fan of Kraus, but very soon tragedy would strike once more. A year after the death of the King, Kraus himself fell sick and died at the tragically young age of 36. Another blow came some thirty or so years later, when a fire at the Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm destroyed the manuscripts of many of his celebrated works for the stage. The Swedish Mozart was quickly forgotten. Cantata La Gelosia, VB46 (excerpt) Simone Kermes L'Arte del Mondo Werner Erhardt Symphony in C minor, VB 148 (Symphonie fun耀bre) Swedish Chamber Orchestra Petter Sundkvist, conductor Funeral Cantata (Part Two) Hillevi Martinpelto, soprano Christina H怀gman, mezzo-soprano Claes-H倀kan Ahnsj怀, tenor Thomas Lander, baritone Uppsala University Chamber Choir The Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble Stefan Parkman, conductor String Quartet in E major, VB 180 (Allegretto) Salagon Quartet Donald Macleod explores Joseph Kraus's final years.