Basing on a variety of historical and modern sources, the article seeks to reconstruct the biography of the famous composer and piano teacher Ivan Pratsсh (c. 1750–1818). His contacts in the musical circles of St. Petersburg of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, as well as little-known aspects of his activity as the author of keyboard and chamber music are
covered in detail, including new data on three of his large-scale compositions: Fandango for keyboard, Grand sonata for cello and keyboard, and Transcription of Mozart’s piano quartet
Es-dur K. 493 for two keyboards. As an appendix to the article, a detailed list of Pratsсh’s musical oeuvre is published for the first time, covering information on every work by the composer discovered to date.
Acknowledgements
The authors express gratitude to A. V. Lebedeva-Emelina, Doctor Habil. (Art Studies), State Institute for Art Studies, Moscow; I. E. Putyatin, Doctor Habil. (Art Studies), Moscow Architectural Institute; K. Yu. Lappo-Danilevsky, Doctor Habil. (Philology), Institute of Russian Literature of the Russian Academy of Sciences; O. V. Martynova, Full Professor, Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory; I. V. Brezhneva, Ph.D. (Art Studies), Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory; I. Z. Torilova, Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory; A. S. Krivtsova, Russian National Museum of Music; G. V. Kopytova, Russian Institute of Art History; I. F. Bezuglova, Russian National Library; S. D. Dzyubanov, The Gavrila Derzhavin Estate Museum.