Frans Krafft

Frans (or François, Francesco, Franciscus) Krafft (17 February 1729 in Brussels – 13 January 1795 in Ghent) was a composer, organist and director in the Austrian Netherlands (the current Belgium). He was organist at the Saint Bavo Cathedral in Ghent from 1769 to 1794. He is sometimes erroneously named Frans-Joseph, but that is actually his elder brother, born in 1721. He is not to be confused with his cousin, also named Frans Krafft and also born in Brussels in 1733, who later moved to Germany. Biography Little is known of his life. His father, Jan-Laurens Krafft, was a poet, writer, music publisher and composer of German descent. Frans Krafft was active as a musician and printer in Brussels from 1747 onwards. He may have studied composition under Francesco Durante in Italy, where he won a prize with the motet In convertendo. L’Echo, a music magazine from Liège, published some thirty arias by him between 1758 and 1769, two of which from his opera Le faux astrologue – in 1763 performed in Dutch as Den valschen Astrologant. He is mentioned from 1761 to 1768 as composer, organist and keyboard teacher in the Brussels Almanach nouveau – ou Le guide fidèle. On 7 April 1769 he is appointe