Riksdagsmusiken, or the Riksdag Music, is a suite of music composed by Joseph Martin Kraus

Joseph Martin Kraus

Joseph Martin Kraus , was a composer in the classical era who was born in Miltenberg am Main, Germany. He moved to Sweden at age 21, and died at the age of 36 in Stockholm...

, for the grand opening, in 1789, of the Riksdag of the Estates

Riksdag of the Estates

The Riksdag of the Estates , was the name used for the Estates of the Swedish realm when they were assembled. Until its dissolution in 1866, the institution was the highest authority in Sweden next to the King...

 in Sweden

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

. King Gustav III of Sweden

Gustav III of Sweden

Gustav III was King of Sweden from 1771 until his death. He was the eldest son of King Adolph Frederick and Queen Louise Ulrica of Sweden, she a sister of Frederick the Great of Prussia....

 wanted to convince the parliament to go along, especially fund, his ongoing war. He was opposed by the nobility but supported by the burgesses and yeomanry, and the king had Kraus write the suite for this occasion, consisting of a march based on the March of the Priests from Mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...

's Idomeneo, and a symphony. The legislature financed the king's measures which became known as Gustav III's Russian War.

External links

• Joseph Martin Kraus A page dedicated to Joseph Martin Kraus (1756-1792) - "Swedish Mozart", with a list of further links.