Concerto for flute and orchestra in G Major (Op 29)

Carl Stamitz (1745-1801) was a German-Bohemian composer and violin virtuoso who served as a primary representative of the second generation of the Mannheim School. He is regarded as one of the most prolific and significant composers of the late 18th century, particularly famous for his contributions to the development of the solo concerto.
Born in Mannheim, Carl was the eldest son of Johann Stamitz, the visionary leader of the Mannheim Court Orchestra. He was raised in what was then the most innovative musical environment in Europe.
Following his father's early death in 1757, Carl’s education was overseen by the top masters of the Mannheim School, including Christian Cannabich and Ignaz Holzbauer. He was trained to master the violin, viola, and viola d'Amore.
By the age of 17, he was appointed as a second violinist in the Mannheim Court Orchestra. He performed in the ensemble that pioneered the "Mannheim crescendo" and the "Mannheim rocket," techniques that would fundamentally shape the symphonic style of Haydn and Mozart.
In 1770, along with his brother Anton Stamitz, he left Mannheim for Paris, where he became a sensation at the Concert Spirituel.
While Anton settled permanently in the French capital, Carl spent several years as a traveling virtuoso, performing across London, the Netherlands, and Germany. He was particularly celebrated for his mastery of the viola d'Amore, a rare string instrument with sympathetic strings.
Despite his early fame, Stamitz’s later years were marked by financial hardship. In a desperate attempt to pay off debts, he reportedly turned to alchemy in his final years in Jena, hoping to transmute base metals into gold.
Overall, Carl Stamitz wrote about 90 concertos. Even though most of them were firmly rooted in Baroque, they gradually evolved into sonata-allegro concertos of the Classic period.