Along with Johann Stamitz, Franz Xaver Richter is considered one of the founding figures of the Mannheim School and the famous court orchestra of Elector Carl Theodor von der Pfalz. Since 1747 he belonged to the famous court orchestra as a composer, violinist and bass player. His works combine stylistic features of the Baroque with gallant elements, and he was one of those masters of the Mannheim School who were very important for the beginnings of the pre-classical symphony. While Johann Stamitz, Ignaz Holzbauer, and Anton Fils, who took inspiration from Italy, shaped the new musical language of the so-called "Mannheim School," Richter's own comparatively conservative musical views probably prevented his promotion. in 1759, Johann Julius Hummel's publishing house in Amsterdam published the collection Six Simphonies Op. 2, dedicated to the Elector Carl Theodor. All six symphonies in the collection are in three movements, with which Richter adheres to the pattern of the operatic sinfonia. The only exception is the fourth work in the collection, at the end of which Richter places a minuet with trio instead of a presto. Despite some backward-looking tendencies in his compositions, the composer was by no means hostile to progress; on the contrary, he was the first "Mannheim composer" to publish string quartets. The recording of the symphonies was made according to the editions of the Forschungsstelle Südwestdeutsche Hofmusik of the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences.