Franz Josef Aumann received his musical training as a choirboy in Vienna, together with Michael Haydn and Johann Georg Albrechtsberger. At the age of 25, he joined St Florian's Abbey, where he took over the choir just two years later and then directed the church music for over four decades. His church music was performed in St Florian's well into the 19th century and Anton Bruckner, who worked there for seven years as the monastery organist, greatly appreciated his works. His great Mass in C is a true ‘Missa solemnis’ with a magnificent orchestration of oboes, trumpets and timpani and a performance time of over 40 minutes, probably intended for special holidays. Aumann's instrumental music often has a ‘twinkle in the eye’: alongside virtuoso and ornate passages, the folk music of the region always shines through. This is clearly noticeable in the Cassatio ‘La Pastorale’, a pastoral piece for four strings and natural horn. It was performed at Schlägl Abbey at Christmas time in 1777 and must have created an exuberant, almost boisterous atmosphere.