Franz Benda was one of the leaders in a generation of Bohemian musicians who entered Austrian and German musical life, filling important roles in the development of late Baroque and early Classical music.

Frantisek Benda (later Germanized to Franz) was the oldest of five musical children of a linen weaver and village musician who had married Dorota Brixi, an offspring of another major Bohemian music family. This was the foundation Read more of a dynasty of musicians that continues to this day, when one can readily obtain compact discs performed by a family group called the Benda Musicians.

Frantisek, the eldest, became a choirboy at St. Nicholas church in Prague when he was nine, giving him the opportunity for musical studies. However, he ran away from its discipline at 11 to Dresden, Germany, where he got a similar position and learned violin. He returned to Prague in 1723, becoming alto soloist in a Jesuit seminary, where he received a good general and musical education, remaining there until his voice changed and he then returned home and resumed violin studies.

When he got a little older, he fell in love with a baker's daughter and petitioned the local count for permission to learn the secrets of Bohemian gingerbread. The count offered as an alternative to pay Benda's way to Prague for more violin studies. After ten weeks, his teacher there, Konicek, pronounced him a fully trained professional. Benda later said he learned more by following around a Jewish street musician named Lebel.

The 16-year-old Benda escaped Bohemia without permission and got work in Poland. Benda formed a house orchestra for Governor Suchaczewski that was so good he was hired away by the King of Poland, Augustus II the Strong, in 1732. The king died a year later, leaving Benda unemployed. He went to Dresden, got a job, and came to the attention of King Frederick the Great of Prussia, who hired him in 1740 to a job Benda kept for life. He even accompanied Frederick (who was a flute player) on his military campaigns. He had six children, among whom four (two boys and two girls) became professional musicians. His main compositional legacy is an assortment of violin sonatas written at the Prussian court, in which he influenced the future development of violin playing. These manuscripts also contain many observations about style and ornamentation of the period, valuable to research in the "authentic" performance movement. Read less

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1.

Music of the Sensitive Style for Flute & Harp / Dean, Lawrence-King

Label: Christophorus Catalog: 2142 Release Date: 05/17/2019 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Karl Friedrich Abel, Johann Joachim Quantz, Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach, Franz Benda ...
Performer: Laurence Dean, Andrew Lawrence-King

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Viola Galante / Sachse, Hecker

Label: Cavi Music Catalog: 8553312 Release Date: 01/12/2018 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach, William Flackton, Giorgio Antoniotto, Franz Benda ...
Performer: Pauline Sachse, Andreas Hecker

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3.

Il Violino Boemo - Benda, Gurecky, Jiranek / Torgersen, Luks, Masek

Label: Supraphon Catalog: 4151 Release Date: 01/28/2014 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Franz Benda, Frantisek Jiranek, Josef Antonín Gurecký
Performer: Lenka Torgersen, Václav Luks, Libor Masek
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4.

Flute Music At The Berlin Court: Benda, Quantz, Kirnberger, C.p.e. Bach, Graun

Label: Accent Catalog: 10140 Release Date: 09/03/2013 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Franz Benda, Johann Joachim Quantz, Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach, Johann Philipp Kirnberger ...
Performer: Ewald Demeyere, Frank Theuns

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5.

Flotenkonzerte Aus Sanssouci / Gallois, Schreier

Label: Deutsche Grammophon Catalog: 001818702 Release Date: 04/02/2013 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Johann Joachim Quantz, Franz Benda, Frederick the Great, Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach
Performer: Klaus Kirbach, Patrick Gallois, Karl-Heinz Schröter, Harald Winkler
Conductor: Peter Schreier
Orchestra/Ensemble: Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Chamber Orchestra

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6.

Flute Concertos At Sanssouci - A Tribute To Frederick The Great / Pahud, Pinnock

Label: C Major Catalog: 711308 Release Date: 08/28/2012 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Frederick the Great, Johann Joachim Quantz, Franz Benda, Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach
Performer: Emmanuel Pahud
Conductor: Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble: Potsdam Chamber Academy

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Flute Concertos At Sanssouci - A Tribute To Frederick The Great / Pahud, Pinnock [blu-ray]

Label: C Major Catalog: 711404 Release Date: 08/28/2012 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Frederick the Great, Johann Joachim Quantz, Franz Benda, Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach
Performer: Emmanuel Pahud
Conductor: Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble: Potsdam Chamber Academy

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8.

Frantisek Benda: Violin Concertos / Zenatý, Prague Philharmonia

Label: Supraphon Catalog: 4064 Release Date: 05/15/2012 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Franz Benda
Performer: Ivan Zenaty
Conductor: Ivan Zenaty
Orchestra/Ensemble: Prague Philharmonia
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9.

Solo For The King / Semeradova, Cuiller, Torgersen, Flekova

Label: Supraphon Catalog: 4087 Release Date: 05/15/2012 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach, Johann Philipp Kirnberger, Johann Joachim Quantz, Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach ...
Performer: Lenka Torgersen, Jana Semerádová, Bertrand Cuiller, Hana Fleková

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10.

The Flute King / Emmanuel Pahud, Trevor Pinnock, Kammerakademie Potsdam

Label: Warner Classics Catalog: 0842302 Release Date: 01/10/2012 Number of Discs: 2
Composer: Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach, Franz Benda, Frederick the Great, Johann Joachim Quantz ...
Performer: Emmanuel Pahud, Trevor Pinnock, Matthew Truscott
Conductor: Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble: Potsdam Chamber Academy

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11.

A Golden Treasury Of Flute Music / Beznosiuk, Ikeda, Et Al

Label: Amon Ra Catalog: 70 Release Date: 01/11/2011 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Carl Maria von Weber, Thomas Augustine Arne, Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach, Mauro Giuliani ...
Performer: Richard Burnett, Jennifer Ward-Clarke, Stephen Preston, Mark Caudle ...
Orchestra/Ensemble: Nouveau Quartet, Preston's Pocket, Cambridge Baroque Camerata ...

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12.

Rare Baroque Flute Concertos / Neil Mclaren

Label: Amon Ra Catalog: 52 Release Date: 01/11/2011 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Franz Benda, Jacques-Christoph Naudot, Johann Joachim Quantz, Giuseppe Tartini
Performer: Neil McLaren
Orchestra/Ensemble: Cambridge Baroque Camerata

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13.

Franz & Georg Anton Benda: Concerti / Terakado, Ad-el, Benda, De Winne, Et Al

Label: Accent Catalog: 24215 Release Date: 11/24/2009 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Georg Anton Benda, Franz Benda
Performer: Shalev Ad-El, Ryo Terakado, Jan De Winne
Orchestra/Ensemble: Il Gardellino
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14.

The Flute at the Court of Frederick the Great / Jean-Pierre Rampal

Label: Cbs Masterworks Catalog: 39702 Release Date: 05/07/2009 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Johann Joachim Quantz, Frederick the Great, Franz Benda
Performer: Jean-Pierre Rampal
Conductor: Jean-Pierre Wallez
Orchestra/Ensemble: Paris Orchestral Ensemble
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15.

The Most Relaxing Flute Music In The Universe

Label: Denon Records Catalog: 17593 Release Date: 03/14/2006 Number of Discs: 2
Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach, Michel Blavet, Benedetto Marcello, Johann Gottfried Müthel ...
Performer: Masahiro Arita, Chiyoko Arita, Wieland Kuijken, Tetsuya Nakano ...
Conductor: Maximiano Valdes, Hans Stadlmair, Jean-Pierre Rampal
Orchestra/Ensemble: Nice Philharmonic Orchestra, Munich Chamber Orchestra, Mozart String Trio ...

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16.

Jan Jiri And Frantisek Benda: Violin Concertos Vol 1

Label: Naxos Catalog: 8553902 Release Date: 11/20/2001 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Franz Benda, Jan Jiri Benda
Performer: Ariane Pfister-Benda, Josef Suk
Conductor: Christian Benda
Orchestra/Ensemble: Suk Chamber Orchestra

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17.

Amor Ist Mein Lied / Dean, Lawrence-king

Label: Christophorus Catalog: 77182 Release Date: 07/09/1996 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach, Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach, Johann Gottfried Müthel, Johann Philipp Kirnberger ...
Performer: Andrew Lawrence-King, Laurence Dean

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18.

Benda, Cpe Bach, Haydn: Flute Concertos / Haraldsdóttir

Label: Intim Musik Catalog: 38 Release Date: 05/14/1996 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Franz Benda, Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach, Franz Joseph Haydn
Performer: Ashildur Haraldsdóttir
Conductor: Thord Svedlund
Orchestra/Ensemble: Umeå Sinfonietta

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19.

From The Court Of Frederick The Great / Kuijken, Van Asperen

Label: Sony Classical Vivarte Series Catalog: 66267 Release Date: 03/19/1996 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Frederick the Great, Carl Heinrich Graun, Johann Philipp Kirnberger, Johann Gottfried Müthel ...
Performer: Bob van Asperen, Barthold Kuijken, Wieland Kuijken
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20.

Stamitz: Flute Concerto / Helasvuo, Saraste, Helsinki

Label: Bis Catalog: 268 Release Date: 09/22/1994 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Franz Benda, Carl Stamitz
Performer: Mikael Helasvuo
Conductor: Jukka-Pekka Saraste
Orchestra/Ensemble: Helsinki Chamber Orchestra

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21.

Benda: Flute Concertos / Andras Adorjan, Milan Munclinger

Label: Orfeo Catalog: 151101 Release Date: 03/04/1994 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Franz Benda
Performer: András Adorján
Conductor: Milan Munclinger
Orchestra/Ensemble: Ars Rediviva

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22.

Music, My Love / Jean-Pierre Rampal

Label: Cbs Masterworks Catalog: 45548 Release Date: 05/25/1989 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach, Fernande Le Borne, Johann Joachim Quantz, Traditional ...
Performer: Robert Veyron-Lacroix, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Jean Huchot, Lily Laskine ...
Conductor: Placido Domingo, Jean-Pierre Wallez, Claudio Scimone, Michel Colombier ...
Orchestra/Ensemble: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Paris Orchestral Ensemble, Paris Baroque Ensemble ...

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