Ferdinand Hiller (1811-1885) first studied piano and violin in his native Frankfurt. His talent was such that he was taken to study with Johann Nepomuk Hummel, then the greatest living pianist. Hiller eventually became one of the leading pianists of his time and, for a while, devoted himself to a concert career before deciding to concentrate on composing and conducting. For more than 2 decades, he was one of Mendelssohn’s closest friends, succeeding him as conductor of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. He served as a Professor and Director of the Cologne Conservatory for several decades. Among his many students was Max Bruch. A prolific composer who wrote works in virtually every genre, Hiller’s vast musical output today is more or less forgotten despite the fact that there are many fine works that certainly deserve to be revived.
Hiller's String Quartet in D Major, Op.105, is his third and final work for this combination. It was completed in 1864 and was dedicated to Otto von Königslow, concertmaster of the Cologne Philharmonic Orchestra. The opening movement, Allegro con anima, is elegant, genial, and full of good spirits. The second movement, Intermezzo, vivace, has a vague Mendelssohnian feel to it. There are several stops and starts that draw attention to the music. In third place is a funereal Andante espressivo, eventually becoming somewhat more elegiac. The finale, Allegro vivace, with its fast running passages in all of the voices, creates a very exciting atmosphere.
Unavailable for more than a century, we reprinted the original Kistner edition but have added rehearsal numbers and corrected a few mistakes.
