Richard Thiele (1847-1903) was born in Berlin. His initial music lessons were from his father, Siegfried, a composer and organist. Subsequent studies were in Berlin and Leipzig. He made his career as a theater director and composer. Between 1880 and 1900, his comic operettas were amongst the most popular in the German-speaking world. He is generally recognized as the greatest composer of Bieroper (beer operas), a kind of comic opera performed in operetta theaters and German student associations. Several are still frequently performed, including Rinaldo Rinaldini, Tannhäuser in Purgatory a parody of Wagner's opera which features 22 student and popular folksongs. Perhaps his most famous work is the march Stolz weht die Flagge Schwarz-Weiss-Rot (The black, white and red flag waved proudly), which comes from his Singspiel Unser Marine (Our Navy). It is one of the most famous marches ever written and regularly performed by military bands all over the world, from Japan to Europe to America. Thiele was also one of the most assiduous collectors of German comic Volkslieder (folksongs), which he not only used in his operettas but also in his three string quartets in the comic style. These are classically conceived and finely written works.
String Quartet No.3 was composed in 1881. The first movement, Andante und fugue, is based on the German folksong "A,B,C die Katze liegt im Schnee" (ABC the cat is lying in the snow). It is a children's song to help them learn the alphabet. The verses go ABC, the cat ran into the snow, and when she came home she had white boots on, oh dear, oh dear. She licked her paws and doesn't go out in the snow anymore. The second movement is a Menuet and is based on two German folksongs. The first "Und nu woll'n wir noch'n mal" (And now we want to do it again). The second folksong, "Grad von den Wirthaus" (Just coming from the tavern), is a popular German Trinklied or drinking song. The last movement, Finale, Allegro, is based on three folk songs. The first "Wer niemals einen Rausch gehabt" (Who has never been drunk) is another German drinking song. Some of the words are: A man who has never been drunk is not a real man. The second folksong "Herr Schmidt! Was kriegt die Jule mit" (Mr. Schmidt, what is Jule bringing with her?) This is an old, well-known German dance song about suitor Schmidt, looking for a bride and trying to learn what prospective candidates would bring with them. The third folksong, "Die Jule war so schön" (Jule was so pretty), is about a girl. The verses go, Jule was so beautiful, as pretty as white cheese, but when I looked at her, she had pimples on her face. Jule was so beautiful, as pretty as a nymph, but when I looked at her, she had holes in her stockings.
If you are not beyond enjoying a superbly written work based on humorous German folksongs, you can do no better than this fine quartet. Fun to play, not at all hard, and surprisingly effective in the concert hall.