Ignaz Lachner
Encyclopedia
Ignaz Lachner was a German
composer
and conductor
.
Ignaz Lachner was born into a musical family at Rain am Lech
. He was the second of the three famous Lachner brothers. Lachner's brothers Franz
and Vinzenz
, were also composers. His older brother Franz was the best known, having heavily traded on his youthful friendship with Franz Schubert
, certainly more than Ignaz who also knew Schubert. Ignaz was taught (as were the others) organ, piano and violin. Upon the latter instrument, he was somewhat of a prodigy, but despite this, his father insisted he become a teacher. After his father’s death, he studied violin with Bernhard Molique, a violin virtuoso and then joined his brother Franz in Vienna where he too befriended and was influenced by Schubert, as well as Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven.
In 1826, he became organist at the Reformed Church in Vienna
and then a member of the orchestra at the Hofoperntheater. 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.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
.
Ignaz Lachner was born into a musical family at Rain am Lech
Rain (Lech)
Rain is a municipality in the Donau-Ries district, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the river Lech, close to its confluence with the Danube, 11 km east of Donauwörth....
. He was the second of the three famous Lachner brothers. Lachner's brothers Franz
Franz Lachner
Franz Paul Lachner was a German composer and conductor.Lachner was born in Rain am Lech to a musical family . He studied music with Simon Sechter and Maximilian, the Abbé Stadler. He conducted at the Theater am Kärntnertor in Vienna. In 1834, he became Kapellmeister at Mannheim...
and Vinzenz
Vinzenz Lachner
Vinzenz Lachner was a significant German composer and conductor....
, were also composers. His older brother Franz was the best known, having heavily traded on his youthful friendship with Franz Schubert
Franz Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer.Although he died at an early age, Schubert was tremendously prolific. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...
, certainly more than Ignaz who also knew Schubert. Ignaz was taught (as were the others) organ, piano and violin. Upon the latter instrument, he was somewhat of a prodigy, but despite this, his father insisted he become a teacher. After his father’s death, he studied violin with Bernhard Molique, a violin virtuoso and then joined his brother Franz in Vienna where he too befriended and was influenced by Schubert, as well as Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven.
In 1826, he became organist at the Reformed Church in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and then a member of the orchestra at the Hofoperntheater. He was appointed a Music Director in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
in 1831 and soon thereafter in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
. From 1853, Lachner served as a Kapellmeister
Kapellmeister
Kapellmeister is a German word designating a person in charge of music-making. The word is a compound, consisting of the roots Kapelle and Meister . The words Kapelle and Meister derive from the Latin: capella and magister...
in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
and moved into the same position again in 1861 at the Stadttheater in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, from which he retired in 1875. He died in Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
.
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.
Chamber music
- String Quartet No.1 in F Major, Op.43
- String Quartet No.2 in G Major, Op.51
- String Quartet No.3 in C Major, Op.54
- String Quartet No.4 in A Major, Op.74
- String Quartet No.5 in G Major, Op.104
- String Quartet No.6 in a minor, Op.105
- String Quartet No.7 in B Flat Major, Op. Post.
- String Quartet for 3 Violins & Viola in C Major, Op.106
- String Quartet for 4 Violins in G Major, Op.107
- Trio No.1 for Violin, Viola & Piano in B Flat Major, Op.27
- Trio No.2 for Violin, Viola & Piano in G Major, Op.45
- Trio No.3 for Violin, Viola & Piano in D Major, Op.58
- Trio No.4 for Violin, Viola & Piano in d minor, Op.89
- Trio No.5 for Violin, Viola & Piano in E Flat Major, Op.102
- Trio No.6 for Violin, Viola & Piano in C Major, Op.103
- Sonata for Violin & Piano in D Major, Op.73
External links
- Ignaz Lachner Sound-bites from his String Quartets & Piano Trios
- 'An der Quelle' and 'Freude' (nos. 1 and 4 from Op. 94) - by pianist Phillip Sear on YouTube