Franz Lachner Harp Concerto in D minor

[terry martyn]

This is the first work on a CD of Bavarian rarities on the Musica Bavarica label (MB75129).  It is available from amazon.de, as adriano advised, and has been around for a while.  The other works on the disc are a couple by Cannabich fils,dating from the early years of the nineteenth century, and which smack of Eybler without the twinkle in his eye (a slight late Classical work for two violins and orchestra and an even less listenable dollup of ballet music from themes of Salieri), and a concerto for two horns by Witt that sound as if it dates from even earlier. The latter work has a slow movement entitled Romanze, with ,I´m afraid, the same motif as Three Blind Mice and  a Rondo straight out of ´We are Poor Little Lambs that have Gone Astray´

Fortunately, the Lachner harp concerto is worth the price of the disc. More a concertino than a concerto, it is one movement,theoretically allegro but actually moderato.. A meditative adagio for orchestra  leads into a work, that at around 18 minutes, does not outstay its welcome and I reckon antedates his Flute Concerto of similar length.  The harp is well balanced with the orchestra, the melodies are quite lovely, with a reflective calm reminiscent of the early part of  Beethoven´s Choral Fantasy. I would say that this is a very spiritual work and that Lachner was probably acquainted with the harp concertos of Bochsa, the first one of which was probably composed only a handful of years before this.

[eschiss1]

According to the 1905 worklist there are also concertos for harp by him in C minor and E-flat major; I wonder if they've been found. Thanks!

[terry martyn]

If they have been found and if they are similar in length to the D minor concerto,the three would make an alluring CD.  As for this particular disc, the more I play the concerto, the more I like this delicate,unshowy, work.  A pity that the incomparable Lily Laskine never recorded it because she would have been wonderfully suited to its understated style.

If you can get hold of this disc on eBay or amazon, I think you will be pleased to be its owner.