MET STARS: Read Maria Nockin's coverage of the regularly streamed Met Stars Live concerts from various locations worldwide.
SPONSORED: CD Spotlight. Beautifully Apt - Choral music by Herbert Howells, heard by Robert Anderson.
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RECENT: Find out about composers from unusual places, including Gerard Schurmann, Giya Kancheli, Nazib Zhiganov and Nodar Gabunia, about singing in cars, and meet Jim Hutton from the RLPO and some of our regular contributors in this eighty-minute February 2021 video.
Czech composer Josef Mysliveček was born in Prague on 9 March 1737, one of twin sons to a wealthy mill owner. He abandoned his philsophy studies when six of his symphonies were well-received in Prague.
He later moved to Italy, receiving several operatic commissions from Italian theatres, and became known as 'the divine Bohemian'. His music was also performed in Germany and Portugal.
Some mystery surrounds the removal of his nose, shortly before an impecunious death in Rome on 4 February 1781. Some sources claim that the operation was to attempt to cure him of syphilis, whereas others claim that he caught an infection after being involved in a coach accident.
CD Spotlight. Unerring Artistry - Wendy Warner plays Haydn and Mysliveček, recommended by Howard Smith. '... her beguiling performances are alive with consistent ebullience ...'
Record Box. Bright Performances - Music for strings by Josef Myslivecek, reviewed by Patric Standford