Composer Information: Johann Baptist Georg Neruda

Relative to other composers of the Classical music era Johann Baptist Georg Neruda (Czech: Jan Křtitel Jiří Neruda) is little known, and his dates of birth and death (given as c1707 and c1780 by the Grove Dictionary) are only approximations. He was born in Bohemia, now part of Czech Republic, to a well-respected musical family. After spending his earlier years gaining a good reputation as a violinist and conductor in Prague and Germany, Neruda became Konzertmeister of the Dresden court orchestra.

His compositional output includes eighteen symphonies, fourteen instrumental concertos (including a bassoon concerto), sonatas, sacred works and an opera: Les Troqueurs.

According to Nimbus Records Ltd. (1994), one of the composer's more significant works is the Concerto in E-flat for Trumpet and Strings. Originally written for the "corno da caccia" or "valveless natural horn" using only the high register, it is now rarely performed on anything other than an E-flat or B-flat trumpet. Incidentally, the Corno da Caccia for which Neruda wrote is not to be confused with the 4-valved hunting horn which has recently been given the same name. The manuscript for this piece is in the National Library in Prague, along with several other unusual works for brass instruments. Mozart's Trumpet Concerto K 47c has never been located but is established to have once existed, and the Neruda Trumpet Concerto has admirably assumed its role in the trumpeter’s repertoire.

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