Jan Šťastný (c.1764 – c.1830) (also Stiasny, Stiastny) was a Czech composer and

cellist The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a bowed (sometimes plucked and occasionally hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually tuned in perfect fifths: from low to high, C2, G2, D3 ...

from the end of the 18th century to the beginning of the 19th century. He is considered one of the founders of Czech national violoncello school. Information on Šťastný's life is rather sketchy. He was born around 1764 in

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

, was taught music by his father, and played in a Prague theatre orchestra by 16 years. In 1810, Šťastný was court cellist in

Frankfurt Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...

(c. 1810–1814). He then worked in

Mannheim Mannheim (; Palatine German: or ), officially the University City of Mannheim (german: Universitätsstadt Mannheim), is the second-largest city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg after the state capital of Stuttgart, and Germany's 2 ...

, and was music director in

Nuremberg Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...

around 1820. Apparently at some point he lived and worked in England, where in London he met Czech singer and composer

Josef Theodor Krov Josef may refer to *Josef (given name) *Josef (surname) * ''Josef'' (film), a 2011 Croatian war film *Musik Josef Musik Josef is a Japanese manufacturer of musical instruments. It was founded by Yukio Nakamura, and is the only company in Japan spe ...

, who called Šťastný, the "Beethoven of the violoncello". Traces of Šťastný disappear after 1826. Šťastný's cello and ''basso continuo'' composition is regarded, in the opinion of violinist, conductor, and cello music historian

Wilhelm Joseph von Wasielewski Wilhelm Joseph von Wasielewski (17 June 1822 – 13 December 1896) was a German violinist, conductor, and musicologist. Life Wasielewski was born on 17 June 1822 in the village of Groß-Leesen (Polish: Leźno), near Danzig as the eighth of el ...

, as one of the best examples of antique cello compositions. He composed cello pieces (11 opus numbers), duets, variations, sonatas, divertimento, instructive pieces, concertino, ''Grand Trio''.

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* 1764 births 1830 deaths Czech classical cellists Czech classical composers Czech male classical composers Musicians from Prague Place of death unknown {{Cellist-stub