František Max Kníže (also Franz Max Kniže; born September 7, 1784 in Drahelčice; died July 23, 1840 in Prague) was a Bohemian musician and composer.
Kníže (also Knjže) was born the son of an estate manager in the Tachlowitz domain. He received his musical training in Prague under Wenzel Johann Tomaschek. Kníže first worked as a singer at the Estates Theater, later as a bassoonist and violist. As a musician, he was involved in several important premieres, including Der Freischütz. In 1833, he became choir director at St. Ignatius Church in Prague; from 1834 until his death, Kníže directed the choir at St. Gallus in Prague. Kníže also played the bassoon, viola, and guitar. He studied guitar theory and practice. In 1820, Kníže wrote the first Czech-language guitar method (“Complete Guitar Method”), which was published in two parts in 1820 and 1822 by C. W. Enders in Prague. Kníže was married to the actress Therese Brunetti. He died of heart failure in 1840 at the spa on Prague’s Slavic Island (Slovanský ostrov).
As a song composer, Kníže initially relied on German lyrics, as there were few good Czech song lyrics available. Later, he collaborated with Václav Hanka, who provided him with numerous texts. In 1819, Kníže published his first songbook in Czech under the title Patero písní pro jeden hlas při kytaře neb fortepianu v hudbu uvedených a obětovaných svému Příteli a Vlastenci Václavovi Růžkovi (Five Songs for One Voice with Guitar or Piano Accompaniment, Dedicated to My Friend and Patriot Václav Růžka). The ballad Břetislav, included in his second songbook, was sung at meetings of the National Revival Movement and became very popular over time. The song Soužení lásky, included in his third and last songbook, became the title of a 1980 recording by Spirituál kvintet featuring twelve songs of the National Revival, four of which were composed by Kníže.
In the field of church music, Kníže composed three pastoral masses in D, F, and G, two large masses in F and G, and a small mass in B flat major. He also created stage music and published pieces for guitar to play and practice.