Robert Markham - Franz Xaver Mozart: Polonaises

FRANZ XAVER WOLFGANG MOZART was the youngest of six children born to Wolfgang Amadeus and his wife Constanze. Franz Xaver's style was early Romantic, with compositions that were highly regarded by his contemporaries Schubert and Schumann. The Polonaise melancolique was an ideal medium for Franz Xaver's expressive melodies, and with some pieces anticipating Chopin, the Op. 17 collection forms a satisfying and substantial cycle. All of these works helped to establish Franz Xaver Mozart throughout Europe as a formidable concert pianist and composer.