Franz Lachner: General discussion

[EarlyRomantic]

  I'm so glad that a Lachner Symphony release can generate a four page thread here. Also, that Lachner has received a focused, sustained effort from the same excellent Orchestra and Conductor, one that may culminate in a first complete essay of all of his symphonies. My avid interest is also ignited by the potential couplings filling out these releases. Inasmuch as the CD of the 6th Symphony contained the Bassoon Concerto, I was deeply hoping that the next issue would include one of the two Harp Concertos. Since the interval from the release of the  6th to the 4th Symphony was 3 and 1/2 years, it is likely to be another long wait to see what is next( even as to what number Symphony is next, let alone couplings.).Also, it was dismaying to learn that the 4th was recorded in 2019, nearly 6 years before it's release.Do any of you, like me, have any Lachner compositions you are eager to see featured in future installments? There must be a generous number of overtures, for example. If this post would create enough response, would it need to become a separate topic?

[eschiss1]

I remember an intriguing book on his choral music (or maybe specifically his liturgical music) that had an interesting chapter on his symphonies in passing, I think, and came out -- a decade ago or so? More of his extended choral music recorded beyond what we already have could be rather good, at a guess. (I see that IMSLP has quite a lot of voice and piano music, several songs for chorus, and several of his psalm-settings, e.g.- though some works only in vocal score.)

[Alan Howe]

If this post would create enough response, would it need to become a separate topic?

Your wish...

[Alan Howe]

Here's the works list at IMSLP:
https://imslp.org/wiki/List_of_works_by_Franz_Paul_Lachner

[terry martyn]

I thought that he composed at least three harp concertos, and the one in D minor was recorded a few years ago, and commented on, in another thread. It's an attractive work, in my view, and probably dates from before he composed his First Symphony.

I would personally love to hear all of his once-famous suites,  an unnumbered one of which, dating from his last decade, has been recorded alongside the profound Eighth Symphony. Two others have appeared on a Marco Polo disc, but the majority have not yet been attempted.

[eschiss1]

Hope there's no question of the score/parts surviving in such cases (I'm reminded of some other cases, like "whatever did happen to Czerny's 3rd&4th symphonies anyway" and such...) - I assume at least some of his works may be in the library of one or more of the orchestras he used to work with, for instance, but ?... (actually, RISM seems to have a lot of Lachner listed, iirc...)

[Alan Howe]

A quick reminder, if I may, at this point. If members wish to post about particular symphonies, I recommend doing a search of the entire site for the symphony involved, thereby leaving this thread for the consideration of other works by Lachner (unless they too have been previously discussed). Thanks!

[eschiss1]

For example, the Cantata The Four Ages (Die vier Menschenalter) (premiered 1829?) does seem to exist in two manuscript full scores (688 pages in 4 books, one for each section) at two different libraries, in (unspecified) parts, and the vocal score was published and is at IMSLP... the overture's been performed and broadcast

[tpaloj]

Lachner's excellent oratorio Moses exists in manuscript full score, but IIRC (it was a while since I last checked it and more sources might have been uncovered since), there is no complete vocal score for the work which would be necessary for rehearsals. The surviving vocal score only includes the choral sections, which is much better than nothing of course.

I'd also like to hear a recording of the overture to his 1842 "Festspiel", a very fine piece of music!

[BerlinExpat]

Apart from the already recorded Catarina Cornaro and König Ödipus there are other stage works:
1826 - Opera in 3 acts Die Bürgschaft
c1830 - Incidental music Lanassa
1839 - Opera in 3 acts Alidia
1849 - Opera in 4 acts Benvenuto Cellini

The latter is probably not as good as Berlioz's but would be interesting to hear what someone else makes of it.

[Alan Howe]

Here's an enlightening view of Lachner's relationship with Schubert, who was 6 years older than him:

<<Lachner was the most successful composer of the Schubert circle, the only one of Schubert's younger musical friends to become a musical celebrity outside Vienna. Moritz von Schwind, Lachner's close friend as he had been Schubert's, also made his career in Munich and became a celebrated visual artist. Although he is largely forgotten now (there are some signs of a revival) Lachner is the 'missing' link between Schubert and Schumann. He was born in Bavaria, and he was to return there as a favourite son; in the intervening years, one may call these his 'Schubert period', he lived in Vienna where he was a pupil of Sechter and the Abbé Stadler. He was a friend of the composer from about 1823, although we have no idea how he was introduced to the Schubert circle. In 1826 Lachner was appointed to a post at the Kärntnertor Theatre. He was with Schubert on many occasions in the last years of the composer's life, but his memoirs of the time are not always reliable. He seems to have been more interested than many of his contemporaries in Schubert's instrumental works. He claimed he often discussed his current compositions with Schubert, and that the two men showed their sketches to each other. This must have been something rare indeed: since his break with Mayrhofer, Schubert had no one among his friends, apart from Schober perhaps, with whom he might have had this kind of exchange. Lachner returned to Munich in 1836 and he played an increasingly dominant part in the musical life of that city. On the twenty-fifth anniversary of Lachner's return to Munich, Moritz von Schwind dedicated to him the 'Lachner roll', twelve-and-a-half metres of remarkably witty drawings on a roll of paper thirty-four centimetres high. This depicted Lachner's career from its beginnings, and included several drawings of Schubert surrounded by his friends. Schwind's own close position to Schubert, and the integrity of his memories, verifies the strength of the connection between Lachner and his immortal mentor.>>

from notes by Graham Johnson © 2006
https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/c.asp?c=C340

My only quibble would be to suggest that Lachner (together with Rufinatscha) is more of a 'missing link' between Schubert and Bruckner, rather than Schumann.