Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Evergreen Symphony Orchestra conducted by Gernot Schmalfuss.
I - Andante pesante - Più mosso - Allegro - Più mosso: 0:00
II - Scherzo. Allegro assai quasi presto - Meno mosso - Da capo: 19:13
III - Andante: 27:58
IV - Finale. Andante - Allegro assai: 37:44
Lachner's Symphony No.4 was finished on November 17 of 1834, two months after accepting a post as court conductor at the court and National Theatre in Mannheim. It was rehearsed in that city on 1835, but the audience's general indifference towards Lachner's music discouraged the composer. In the end, it was premiered in Vienna on October 31 of 1835, where it was very well-received, specially by critics. Lachner conducted the work once more on April 18 of 1836 at the last of the four seasonal academy concerts in Mannheim; then it fell completely silent.
Obviously, the work was overshadowed by Symphony No.5 in C minor (Sinfonia Passionata), which caused much controversy throughout the German-speaking world after its premiere in Vienna. In contrast, the fourth symphony fell into oblivion and never appeared in print. The work itself represents a transition between the more conventional third and the more substantial and expansive fifth symphony. During this time, Lachner was in his zenith as both as a composer and conductor. The confrontational juxtaposition of large-scale thematic blocks, found in his Symphonies nos.3, 4, and 5 preceded Bruckner in several decades.
The first movement is structured in a large-scale sonata form. It begins with a substantial andante introduction. An evocative horn solo introduces a widely lyrical melody in E major, a motive that will be key later on. The main allegro begins with a flowing and nostalgic main theme in E major, based on the horn melody and supported by a triplet rhythm. A vigorous transition leads to the passionate and expressive second theme in B minor, which is contrasted by a triumphal and joyful third theme in B major, offering great contrast. This exposition is then repeated in its entirety.
The development starts with the main theme on the basses in the key of C major, before it is fragmented and combined with the transition material with added counterpoint. Then the second theme heroically reappears in fortissimo on trombones and basses, wavering between B minor and major on trombones and bass. After a powerful climax is reached, a pianissimo cadence leads to the recapitulation of the themes. The only notable difference from the exposition is that the transition and second theme are now in the key of C-sharp minor. The material is again fragmented and quoted in the coda, which ends the allegro with a brilliant E major.
The second movement is a scherzo in ternary form. It opens with a rhythmic and elegant main theme in E major in 3/4 time, with up and down beats, rapid tempo and sudden changes of key. Occasional reminiscences of the first movement appear, such as the beginning of the main theme, first on cellos and then on violins. The non-repeated second section of the scherzo contains a veritable development of the opening theme, with canonic entries, elisions and sequential chains. At the climax, the beginning of theme appears as an upbeat in a sequence in the strings over weighty wind chords.
The central trio (also in E major) features a much slower Ländler-like second theme, divided in two parts that are repeated. At the beginning of the second section, the horns present an elegiac minor-key variation, before reappearing on full orchestra in a major key. Then motifs from the trio are combined with the beginning of the scherzo theme in an upbeat and leisurely tempo; in this way it also serves as a transition to the complete repeat of the scherzo da capo. A vigorous coda ends the movement.
The third movement is structured as a theme and variations. It begins with a lyrical, chorale-like main theme in C major, introduced by strings with each line ending marked by a wind chord; the actual chorale then appears in the divisi cellos. This is repeated by the horns and a further line is added in the divisi cellos, then taken up by the woodwinds. The trombone section returns to the introduction. A thematically independent, accelerated interlude in F major in the woodwinds, supported by pizzicato chords in the double basses, builds up to a restrained high point.
[Musical analysis continued in the comments section]
Picture: "Forest of Fontainebleau" (1834) by the French painter Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot.
Source: tinyurl.com/28w2cygx
To check the score: tinyurl.com/24hllj7e
Evergreen Symphony Orchestra conducted by Gernot Schmalfuss.
I - Andante pesante - Più mosso - Allegro - Più mosso: 0:00
II - Scherzo. Allegro assai quasi presto - Meno mosso - Da capo: 19:13
III - Andante: 27:58
IV - Finale. Andante - Allegro assai: 37:44
Lachner's Symphony No.4 was finished on November 17 of 1834, two months after accepting a post as court conductor at the court and National Theatre in Mannheim. It was rehearsed in that city on 1835, but the audience's general indifference towards Lachner's music discouraged the composer. In the end, it was premiered in Vienna on October 31 of 1835, where it was very well-received, specially by critics. Lachner conducted the work once more on April 18 of 1836 at the last of the four seasonal academy concerts in Mannheim; then it fell completely silent.
Obviously, the work was overshadowed by Symphony No.5 in C minor (Sinfonia Passionata), which caused much controversy throughout the German-speaking world after its premiere in Vienna. In contrast, the fourth symphony fell into oblivion and never appeared in print. The work itself represents a transition between the more conventional third and the more substantial and expansive fifth symphony. During this time, Lachner was in his zenith as both as a composer and conductor. The confrontational juxtaposition of large-scale thematic blocks, found in his Symphonies nos.3, 4, and 5 preceded Bruckner in several decades.
The first movement is structured in a large-scale sonata form. It begins with a substantial andante introduction. An evocative horn solo introduces a widely lyrical melody in E major, a motive that will be key later on. The main allegro begins with a flowing and nostalgic main theme in E major, based on the horn melody and supported by a triplet rhythm. A vigorous transition leads to the passionate and expressive second theme in B minor, which is contrasted by a triumphal and joyful third theme in B major, offering great contrast. This exposition is then repeated in its entirety.
The development starts with the main theme on the basses in the key of C major, before it is fragmented and combined with the transition material with added counterpoint. Then the second theme heroically reappears in fortissimo on trombones and basses, wavering between B minor and major on trombones and bass. After a powerful climax is reached, a pianissimo cadence leads to the recapitulation of the themes. The only notable difference from the exposition is that the transition and second theme are now in the key of C-sharp minor. The material is again fragmented and quoted in the coda, which ends the allegro with a brilliant E major.
The second movement is a scherzo in ternary form. It opens with a rhythmic and elegant main theme in E major in 3/4 time, with up and down beats, rapid tempo and sudden changes of key. Occasional reminiscences of the first movement appear, such as the beginning of the main theme, first on cellos and then on violins. The non-repeated second section of the scherzo contains a veritable development of the opening theme, with canonic entries, elisions and sequential chains. At the climax, the beginning of theme appears as an upbeat in a sequence in the strings over weighty wind chords.
The central trio (also in E major) features a much slower Ländler-like second theme, divided in two parts that are repeated. At the beginning of the second section, the horns present an elegiac minor-key variation, before reappearing on full orchestra in a major key. Then motifs from the trio are combined with the beginning of the scherzo theme in an upbeat and leisurely tempo; in this way it also serves as a transition to the complete repeat of the scherzo da capo. A vigorous coda ends the movement.
The third movement is structured as a theme and variations. It begins with a lyrical, chorale-like main theme in C major, introduced by strings with each line ending marked by a wind chord; the actual chorale then appears in the divisi cellos. This is repeated by the horns and a further line is added in the divisi cellos, then taken up by the woodwinds. The trombone section returns to the introduction. A thematically independent, accelerated interlude in F major in the woodwinds, supported by pizzicato chords in the double basses, builds up to a restrained high point.
[Musical analysis continued in the comments section]
Picture: "Forest of Fontainebleau" (1834) by the French painter Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot.
Source: tinyurl.com/28w2cygx
To check the score: tinyurl.com/24hllj7e
