Composer of the Month 3/2011: Frantisek Benda   (selected by Peter van Dessel / Belgium)

Czechoslovakia 22.6.1959 The Czech violinist and composer Franz (Frantisek) Benda was born in Benatek (Bohemia) on 22 November 1709. At the age of ten he came to Dresden, where he served as a choirboy at the Catholic Court Church and learned to play the violin and viola. From 1730 to 1733 he worked in the royal court orchestras in Warsaw and Dresden. In 1733, recommended by Johann Joachim Quantz, Benda became first violinist in the chapel of the Prussian Crown Prince Frederick in Ruppin and later in Rheinberg, Berlin and Potsdam. In 1771 he was appointed concertmaster and from 1773 he was the first adviser of Frederick II in musical matters. Franz Benda wrote mainly works for violin. The style of his compositions is between the Baroque and the Vienna Classical era. Benda also had a very good reputation as violin teacher. Many of his students later came to notable fame. Franz Benda died on 7 March 1786 in Potsdam. His death anniversary comes up again for the 225th time in March 2011. The video shows Rolando Quintana and Miguel Hudson playing the 1st movement of Fanz Benda's Flute Sonata in e minor. More composers in our "members only" section.