Richter, Franz Xaver (1709-1789)

Franz Xaver Richter (1709-1789) was one of the foremost composers of the Mannheim school even though he consciously eschewed the fashionable style prevalent there and eventually left to pursue his career elsewhere. The present work, probably composed during Richters last years at Mannheim, was one of six works published in London by Johnston, Longman, Lukey and Broderip ca 1770. Although in their overall style and syntax these symphonies show a strong kinship with works by other Mannheim composers, they retain many of the most important characteristics of Richters pre-Mannheim musical language; the harmonic palette is rich and varied and the part-writing unusually resourceful. Allan Badley