Presents
Carl Gottlieb Reissiger
String Quartet No.1 in A Major, Op.111 No.1
Reissiger's String Quartet No.1 in A Major was the first of a set of three, published in 1837 as his Op.111. They were dedicated to his friend Antonio Rolla, concertmaster of the court orchestra in Dresden and son of the famous Italian composer Alessandro Rolla. Schumann is said to have remarked after hearing the Op.111 performed that while they broke no new ground, showing as they did the influence of Mozart, Beethoven, Spohr and Onslow, nonetheless, because of the appealing melodic material, would be welcomed by amateur quarteters. The first movement, Allegro moderato, is filled with genial, charming melodies. The second movement is a fleet-footed Scherzo with a lovely contrasting trio section. A song-like Adagio follows. The exciting finale, Vivace, immediately grabs the listener's attention and keeps it throughout.
Carl Gottlieb Reissiger (1798-1859) was born in the Prussian town of Belzig. He originally attended the famous Thomasschule in Leipzig as his father intended him to be a priest, however, his extraordinary musical talent was recognized and he was encouraged to pursue a musical career. His initial studies were with Johann Schlicht, Bach's fifth successor as Cantor of the Thomasschule. Subsequently, he went to Vienna and studied with Salieri. An early opera attracted Carl Maria von Weber's attention and Reissiger went to Dresden, eventually succeeding Weber as Music Director of the Dresden Court Orchestra, a post he held until his death. A leading conductor of German opera, Wagner worked under Reissiger for nearly a decade. Reissiger premiered Wagner's first opera. A prolific composer, as most composers of that time were, he penned works in virtually every genre. His works show the influence of the Viennese masters, in particular Schubert and Beethoven.
Born a year after Schubert and a decade before Mendelssohn and Schumann, Reissiger's music is an excellent example of the early Romantic movement and this quartet would certainly be appreciated both by concert audiences as well as amateurs.
Parts: $24.95
