Nicolaus Kraft (1778-1853) - Scène pastorale, Op.9 (1820)

Nicolaus Kraft

 (14 December 1778, Eszterháza, Hungary - 18 May 1853, Cheb, Bohemia) was an Austrian cellist and composer (six cello concertos). He was the son of Antonín Kraft, under whom he first studied. He then trained under Jean-Louis Duport (1801). He claimed to have been the soloist for the premiere of Beethoven's Triple Concerto and played alongside Mozart and Anton Teyber on 12 April 1789 at Dresden on Mozart's Berlin journey

Scène pastorale, Op.9 (1820)

Obra: Scène pastorale, Op.9 (1820)
Intèrprets: Jirí Hosek (cello); Plzen Radio Symphony Orchestra; Hynak Farkac (conductor)

Pintura: Wincenty Kasprzycki (1802-1849) - Widok palacu w Natolinie od strony dziedzinca

Eldest son of Anton Kraft. A godson of Prince Nikolaus Esterházy, he began cello lessons with his father at the age of four and accompanied him on concert tours from the age of nine. He received a general education at the Universität-Gymnasium in der Josephstadt from 1792 to 1795. In 1801 Kraft travelled to Berlin with his father and was accepted as a pupil of J.-L. Duport. He returned in 1802 to Vienna, where, along with his father, he was employed by Prince Lobkowitz as a Kammervirtuose and performed often with his father as a duo between 1804 and 1809. His independent reputation as a cello virtuoso was established by 1809, when he succeeded Anton in Schuppanzigh's quartet, though owing to Lobkowitz's financial difficulties he also accepted the post of solo cellist at the Kärntnertortheater. From 1814 to 1834 Kraft served as first cellist in the Kapelle of the Duke of Württemberg in Stuttgart. He toured extensively as a soloist, performing in Mannheim, Hamburg, Vienna, Prague, Leipzig, Berlin and Dresden and earning a reputation as one of the leading cello virtuosos of the day. These concerts often included his own compositions. In 1824, however, he permanently injured a finger while tuning his cello and was forced to stop giving concerts abroad. He moved in 1838 to Chemnitz and later to Cheb, where he died.