Ignaz Lachner: String Quartet in A, Op.74[1873]/op. 107

 

Ignaz Lachner

(11 September 1807 – 24 February 1895)

German composer and conductor.

 

String Quartet in A, Op.74

Rodin-Quartett (Sonja Korkeala, violine, Gerhard Urban, violine, Martin Wandel, viola, Clemens Weigel, violoncello)
1. Allegro moderato – 0:00
2. Andante – 12:18
3. Scherzo. Allegro molto – 24:37
4. Finale. Allegro – 28:12

 

Quartett für 4 Geigen, op. 107

 The Lachner family, who lived in Rain am Lech, a town in Bavarian territory, became famous through three brothers, Franz Lachner, Ignaz and the youngest Vincent Lachner. They were children of Anton Lachner who was an organist to local church.
Papa Anton teach music to all his children with discipline. They were poor but managed to learn musical instruments without even have the instruments. No piano in the living room. Papa Anton painted the bench with black and white to symbolized piano tuts. Thus the children will able to learn the fingering. In the weekend Papa will bring them to 'test' their skill on real organ.
Ignaz was better in violin. He was a prodigy but, his father, Papa Anton, wanted him to be a teacher and public servant, thus sending him to Grammar school. After the old man passed away, Ignaz studied violin with the local virtuoso, none other than Bernard Molique (whom composed a number of string quartets as well). Later, in Vienna, with Franz introduction, Ignaz become friends with Abbe Stadler, Gyrowetz and Weigl. He too befriended by Schubert, although he was not as close as his brother. Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven were also influences.
Ignaz autobiography described his music career: “In 1827 I was hired as a viola player at the orchestra of the Royal Opera Theater, and in the autumn of 1829 I was made second conductor at the same theater, and in 1830 I was appointed first conductor, a position I held until September 1831".
He was also substitute to his brother Franz post as organist in Lutheran Church. He was appointed a Music Director in Stuttgart in 1831 and soon thereafter in Munich. From 1853, Lachner served as a Kapellmeister in Hamburg and moved into the same position again in 1861 at the Stadttheater in Frankfurt, from which he retired in 1875. He died in Hanover.
Although primarily known as a conductor, Lachner composed a considerable amount of music in almost every genre. Among his best known and most successful compositions was his Alpine Scenes, Das letzte Fensterln, although critics, such as Wilhelm Altmann, today generally consider his chamber music to be his best work. Of these, his six trios for the unusual combination of violin, viola and piano were among the best ever written for this combination and his seven string quartets achieved considerable popularity in their time by virtue of their fetching melodies and effective harmonies. Several of the quartets and all of the piano trios have been recorded.