Frans Joseph Krafft Frans Joseph Krafft was a Belgian organist, conductor and composer. He is the son of Jan Laurens Krafft (fr. Jean-Laurent Krafft), poet, writer, engraver, music publisher and composer, and of Marie Aubersin. He is believed to have been a chorister in St Baaf Cathedral, Ghent, and to have studied composition in Italy (perhaps under Durante), where it is claimed that he won a prize for the motet In convertendo.
Little is known of his career: he may be the Krafft mentioned in the Brussels Almanach nouveau - ou Le guide fidèle as a composer, organist and harpsichord teacher from 1761 to 1768, but it could equally be his cousin. On 9 January 1768 Krafft definitely married Jeanne Catherine Willems in the church of St Nicolas, Brussels; on 7 April 1769 he was appointed music director of St Baaf Cathedral in Ghent, a position he held until his resignation on 23 August 1794.
In Ghent Krafft composed his Requiem for the large vocal ensembles of the cathedral there. It was used for the funeral services of the sisters of the Great Beguine Convent in Louvain. The very sober themes, showing resignation and acceptance of death, are somewhat reminscent of those of Mozart's Requiem (the latter was born in 1756, thirty-five years after Krafft).
