Christian Cannabich was one of a family of German musicians. Born in Mannheim, the son of a musician in the service of the Elector, he established himself as one of the most important of the Mannheim composers. He made Mozart welcome in Mannheim in 1777 and 1778, in the latter year following the court to Munich, when the Palatine and Bavarian electorates were united. He was much respected as an orchestra director, and died in 1798 in Frankfurt while visiting his son, the composer Carl Cannabich.
Orchestral Music
Christian Cannabich contributed to the repertoire of Mannheim symphonies and concertos, continuing his work in Munich after 1778. These compositions make use of characteristic elements of Mannheim style in their dynamics and their melodic shape and structure.