The Czech composer František Xaver Dušek (1731–1799) was a leading figure in Prague’s music life in the latter half of the 18th century. He was an outstanding pianist, composer and piano teacher whose pupils included Leopold Koželuch.<br>
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Now all of Dušek’s 21 sonatas, many of which have until now been available only in old prints or manuscripts, are appearing in two volumes. The editor, Vojtech Spurný, has carefully collected and compared archival sources strewn throughout Europe. The sonatas, arranged in chronological order by date of publication, now appear for the first time in critical editions. They are easy to play, some most probably having been written for teaching purposes.<br>