Franz Xaver Richter was one of the most important representatives of the famous Mannheim school. The musician from Moravia not only played the violin in the Mannheim Hofkapelle for over twenty years, he also sang the bass in the court opera of Elector Karl Theodor. As a composer, he primarily created symphonic works during this time, which have everything that made up the galant Mannheim style at the interface between baroque and classical music: variety, contrasts, surprises and a very special orchestral sound. These characteristics can be impressively understood in the over 20-minute Flute Concerto in E minor, which is at the centre of this album, as well as in two harpsichord trios and a trio sonata for two violins. A flute concerto by Johann Stamitz, co-founder of the Mannheim School, rounds off the album. © Pan Classics