Background
Lachner was born into a musical family at Rain am Lech. 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.
Career
He was the second of the three famous Lachner brothers. Lachner"s brothers Franz and Vinzenz were also composers. Ignaz was taught (as were the others) organ, piano and violin.
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. Several of the quartets and all of the piano trios have been recorded.
Sonata in Doctorate major for violin and piano, Operation
73 (1873)
6 Tänze (6 Dances) for violin and piano, Operation 80 (1876)
Serenade in B♭ major for violin and piano, Operation 81 (1876)
3 Morceaux de salon for violin and piano, Operation
93 (1890)
String Quartet Number.
1 in F major, Operation 43
String Quartet Number. 2 in G major, Operation 51 (1856)
String Quartet Number.
3 in C major, Operation 54
String Quartet Number.
4 in A major, Operation 74 (1873)
String Quartet Number. 5 in G major, Operation 104
String Quartet Number.
6 in a minor, Operation 105 (1895)
String Quartet Number.
7 in B♭ major, Operation posthumous
String Quartet in C major for 3 violins and viola, Operation 106
String Quartet in G major for 4 violins, Operation
107
String Quintet in C major, Operation 8 (1840)
Trio Number. 1 in B♭ major for violin, viola and piano, Operation
37 (1851)
Trio Number. 2 in G major for violin, viola and piano, Operation
45 (1856)
Trio Number. 3 in Doctorate major for violin, viola and piano, Operation 58 (1868)
Trio Number. 4 in Doctorate minor for violin, viola and piano, Operation
89 (1879)
Trio Number. 5 in East♭ major for violin, viola and piano, Operation
102 (1893)
Trio Number. 6 in C major for violin, viola and piano, Operation 103 (1893)
Concertino in F major for Horn, Bassoon & Orchestra, Op 43(?)(1850).
Membership
In 1826, he became organist at the Reformed Church in Vienna and then a member of the orchestra at the Hofoperntheater.