Kraus died at the age of 36, nine months after the assassination of his patron, King Gustav III.
Joseph Martin Kraus, born in Germany, dedicated his life to music in 1778 and sought employment at the court of Gustav III in Sweden.
Kraus undertook a grand tour of Europe at King Gustav III's expense, meeting major figures like Gluck and Haydn.
Pianist Jacques Després has collaborated with internationally renowned pianists Radu Lupu and Nicolai Petrov.
Kraus's compositional style features the unexpected and dramatic, with forward-looking stylistic devices that anticipate music of the next century.
This album was recorded in Convocation Hall, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, on October 7-8, 2000.
