Jan Křtitel Kuchař

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Jan Křtitel Kuchař or also Johann Baptist Kucharz (March 5, 1751 Choteč - February 18, 1829 Prague) was a Czech organist, cembalist, music composer and teacher.

[edit] Biography

Soon after his birth Kuchař's parents moved to Mlázovice, where he lived out his childhood. He achieved basic music knowledge in Vrchlabí by an organist Alex Thám. Later he studied on jesuit gymnasiums in Hradec Králové and Jičín. He was a student of organist Josef Seger. Since 1772 he had acted as an organist in Kostel sv. Jindřicha v Praze. He started to teach music in Prague noble families of Hartig, Buquoy and Příchovský. He was active in teaching of singing, piano and composition.

Kuchař was among the first ones, who recognized genius of W. A. Mozart and started to propagate it. In year 1786 he probably played in Stavovské divadlo at the premiere of The Marriage of Figaro and in January 1787 he was acquainted with Mozart at his Prague visit. On October 28 in the same year he played together with Mozart on cembalo premiere performance of Don Giovanni. He wrote piano excerpts from both operas, as well as from opera Così fan tutte. Further he composed recitatives for an Italian version of The Magic Flute.

In 1790 Kuchař left the church after being nominated as an organist in Strahov Monastery of Kostel Nanebevzetí Panny Marie on September 1; he also started to perform on stand-alone concertos. The influence of Mozart, who in 1787 improvised on Strahov organ, is perceptible in Kuchař's music and also it led Kuchar to join Prague Freemasonry. Since year 1791 he performed as a cembalist of Pražská operní společnost. On September 6, 1791 he probably played at the premiere of Mozart's opera La clemenza di Tito. In this period he composed series of organ and chamber compositions, especially for Strahov choir.

[edit] Works

Despite his contemporary success, he is not a notable composer of Classical period. However a few organ works include hints of early Romanticism.

His most known works are two organ concertos, concert fantaisies, fugues, toccatas and others.