Johann Schobert was a German composer and clavichordist. Most likely he was either from Silesia, as suggested by Friedrich Melchior von Grimm, or from Nuremberg, as claimed by Christian Schubart in his autobiography. More about him is known from 1760, when he moved to Paris, where he settled down as a keyboard virtuoso and composer. Here he served as court musician to the Prince of Conti. He composed much chamber music (some 30 sonatas for harpsichord, harpsichord and violin, and more) and the opéra comique (comic opera) “The Gamekeeper and the Poacher”. His worklist also included harpsichord concertos and symphonies.

He came into contact with the Mozart family when they visited Paris in 1764. Leopold Mozart reported that his children played Schobert’s works with ease, which made Schobert furious. Leopold called him “Low and not at all what he should be”. The young Wolfgang Mozart based the second movement of his second piano concerto (K 39) on Schoberts sonata op. 17 no. 2. Mozart’s early works and the Mannheim School were generally influenced by the style and technique of Schobert, Eckard and their popular contemporaries.

Schobert died, along with his wife and one of his children, after mistakenly eating poisonous mushrooms.

(Contribution by Dmitry Yatskaer <danyats_1@yahoo.com>.)