born Feb. 12, 1760, Čáslav, Bohemia
died March 20, 1812, St. Germain-en-Laye, France
Bohemian (Czech) composer and pianist.
He toured Europe with great success as a pianist and studied with C.P.E. Bach . He joined his father-in-law's music publishing firm in London (1792–99) but fled England to escape his creditors. He served two princely patrons and spent his last years in the household of Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand . A transitional figure between Classicism and Romanticism, he wrote some 60 violin sonatas, 15 piano concertos, and 30 admired piano sonatas, which may have influenced Ludwig van Beethoven