(1756–1808)
| Symphony in D major, Op. 36 | 21:42 |
| Symphony in C minor, Op. 11 | 18:47 |
| Grand Characteristic Symphony for the Peace with the French Republic, Op. 31 - première recording | 30:32 |
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Pavel Vranický was born in the small Moravian town of Nová Říše on 30 December 1756 (the same year as Mozart), the second son of land-owning innkeepers who also operated a postal service. He studied singing, organ, violin and viola at the Premonstratensian monastery grammar school in Nová Říše and later (1770–71) in Jihlava, 50 miles north-west of Brno; he subsequently studied theology in Olomouc, 50 miles north-east of Brno. Like many of their Czech contemporaries, both he and his younger brother Antonín (1761–1820), who was also trained as a musician, gravitated to Vienna, germanising their names to Paul and Anton Wranitzky. Pavel arrived in that city in about 1776 and entered the theological seminary where he also served as choirmaster. He continued his musical studies with Joseph Martin Kraus, Kapellmeister to the Swedish court in Stockholm, who visited Vienna in 1783.
Early in 1784 he was appointed music director for Count Johann Baptist Esterházy, and in October 1785 he became director of the newly formed orchestra of the Kärntnerthortheater in Vienna, moving down the road to the Burgtheater two years later. He maintained his association with the orchestras of both these institutions until his death on 26 September 1808, when he was succeeded by his brother Anton.
He was a friend of Mozart’s, whose last German opera, Die Zauberflöte (1791), was at least partially influenced by Wranitzky’s first opera, Oberon, König der Elfen (1789). The two composers belonged to the same Masonic Lodge, ‘Zur gekrönten Hoffnung’; and after Mozart’s death in 1791 Wranitzky helped his widow, Constanze, with negotiations for publishing his music. Though there is no evidence that Wranitzky had ever studied under Haydn, he was certainly on friendly terms with that illustrious colleague, who insisted that he should direct the performances in 1799 and 1800 of Die Schöpfung; and Beethoven asked him to conduct the first performance of his First Symphony in 1800.
His own compositions comprise over 20 stage works, including 10 operas; 51 symphonies; at least 56 string quartets; and a large amount of other orchestral and chamber music.
from notes by Robin Golding
