Name Frantisek Jiranek Died 1778, Dresden, Germany | Role Composer | |
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František Jiránek (1698-1778) Concertos & Sinfonias
Frantisek Jiranek (24 July 1698 – 1778) was a Czech (Bohemian) Baroque composer, musician and very likely a student of Antonio Vivaldi.
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Life
Jiranek was born on 24 July 1698 in Lomnice nad Popelkou (Northern Bohemia, present-day Czech Republic). His parents were servants of the Counts of Morzin; Frantisek also started to work for them as a musician. Count Vaclav Morzin sent him to Venice in 1724 to improve his musical abilities. His teacher was probably Antonio Vivaldi himself. Count Vaclav Morzin was a very important supporter of Vivaldi (Vivaldi dedicated to him his famous Four Seasons).
In 1726 Jiranek came back to Prague and worked as a violinist in the Prague ensemble of Vaclav Morzin. In this ensamble worked also Antonin Reichenauer and Johann Friedrich Fasch. After the death of Vaclav Morzin in 1737 Jiranek left Prague and was employed by the Prime Minister of Saxony, Heinrich von Bruhl in Dresden. In Dresden his work was informed by the coming Classical music. After the death of Heinrich Bruhl in 1763 he retired and died in 1778 in Dresden.
Works
Only Jiranek's instrumental works have been preserved (e.g. violin concertos, symphonies or concertos). His work was strongly influenced by Vivaldi's musical style, although it has also many original distinctive elements.