seldom heard Chambermusic of the Pianist Robert Kahn (1865-1951)

[Steffen Fahl]

I simply like this composer and do not understand at all, why he seems to be that neglected.
So I start to record some compositions for Piano & Voilin/Viola and will share them with you.
I will start with the two pieces for Piano and Violin op.4
1) Allegretto - Presto
2) Adagio mesto - Vivace
(As some here already know all of my recordings are made with samplebased digital instruments)
I hope you like the music and perhaps feel encouraged to study one or the other of Kahns Pieces.
Anything constructive that helps me to improve my recordings is very wellcome.
best
fahl5

[Steffen Fahl]

Here we go on with the first  Movement Robert Kahns Sonata op.5 for Piano and Violin.
1) Allegro moderato e energico
(the other will follow)
He composed this befor starting his studies at the "koenigliche Hochschule für Musik in Belin" not much older than twenty and convinced with this music Clara Schumann aswell as Joseph Joachim and Johannes Brahms.
I am sure you will like the music and hope at least you will have some fun with it's very first complete recording (as far as I know).
best
fahl5

[Steffen Fahl]

Here are the other Movements of R.Kahns Sonata op.5 to complete the first recording of the whole Sonata:
2) Adagio ma non troppo
3) Allegro vivace

[Steffen Fahl]

...and this is the first movment "Allegro" of Robert Kahns second Sonata for Piano and Violin in a-minor op.26.
It is probably the best know of those mostly neglectec compositions since it is on one hand the only Violinpiece already available on a cd produced by an health ensurance company of Mannheim where Kahn was born. It also is part of the Max-Rostal-Competition-Repertoire  
It is great music dedicated to Karl Klinger the first Violinist of the former Joseph-Joachim-Quartett after Joachim was gone.
I hope you like this recording of this still very seldom heard music
best fahl5
(the second and third movement will follow soon)

[Steffen Fahl]

...and here are the second and third Movements of Robert Kahns Sonata for Piano and Violin a-minor op.26:

II. Moderato- Adagio man non troppo
III. Allegro non troppo, ma con fuoco e poco a capriccio

I hope you like this wonderful and brilliant piano-chambermusic
best
fahl5

[Steffen Fahl]

Here are three of five "Tonbilder für Violine und Klavier op.36"
They seem to me more influenced by Bahms late pianomusic aswell as from Kahns own in his early years very succesful composition of the romantic "Kunstlied" what makes some of them kind of "lieder ohne Worte" in chambermusic.
1. Canzone, Andantino con moto
2. Romanze, Moderato - vivace
3. Intermezzo Allegretto grazioso
(the other two pieces will follow in the next posting)
Meanwhile this is not as brilliant music like the sonatas I hope you like the warm melodic qualities of the compositions.
best
fahl5

[Steffen Fahl]

And this is
Nr.4 Elegie, Andante sonstenuto e mesto - Moderato
Nr.5 Capriccio, Allegro risoluto
Nr.4 is another in my ears beautiful chambermusic-song without words, the last one has an hungarian flavour like Brahms hungarian dances.
I hope you like it
best
fahl5

[Steffen Fahl]

Here comes the third sonata E-Major premiered 1907 with Carl Halir at the Berliner Singakademie.

One of the most ambitious Works for Violin and Piano composed by Kahn. Unlike the most sonatas the first movement is the shortest, the second kind of a vivid scherzo....

1) Andante sostenuto - Presto
2) Allegro molto vivace

(The third movement follow in the next posting)...

[Steffen Fahl]

... the third movement is the most important, most ambitious of the sonata. The whole movement is larger than the first two together.

3) Adagio - Allegro energico

It starts with an adagio Introduction the only realy slow part of the sonata. The following allegro enegico contains as brilliant as complex fugato ending with a reprise of the beginning of the first movement.

I hope you like this first published recording of this great music.

best
fahl5

[Steffen Fahl]

The Suite op.69 was dedicated to the young Adolf Busch who became with ca.25 Years the youngest Violin Proffessor at the königliche Hochschule Berlin and with whom Kahn played a couple of concerts in 1918. The first concert of the Suite op.69 is mentioned in 1919 played by the 21 years old 'Violin-Prodigy' Georg Kulenkampf-Post and Kahn.
Her are
1) Romanze
2) Scherzo
(the other three movements will follow...)

[Steffen Fahl]

Here are
3) Abendlied, Larghetto
4) Elfe, Molto vivace
5) Burleske, Allegro energico
 I hope you like it
fahl5

[Steffen Fahl]

Here are three Pieces for Cello and Piano op.25 (1897)
1) Romanze - Andantino con moto
2) Serenata - Moderato grazioso
3) Capriccio - Allegro ma no troppo

[Steffen Fahl]

This is the first Sonata for Cello and Piano op.37
1) Allegro energico
(the other movements will follow...)

[Steffen Fahl]

Sonata for Cello and Piano op.37:
2) Andante sostenuto
3) Allegro risoluto

[Steffen Fahl]

2. Sonata for Cello and Piano op.56

1) Allegro appassionato
(the other movements will follow...)

[Steffen Fahl]

2. Sonata for Cello and Piano op.56

2) Andante tranquillo
3) Allegro energico

[Steffen Fahl]

Here are the first two movements of Robert Kahns first Pianoquintett for Violin, Clarinet, French Horn, Cello and Piano op.54.
a) Allegro non troppo
b) Presto assai
This is definitly not the first Recordng. But the "soundbites" which I found still leave some room for another now at least complete Recording.
I hope you like this late romatic chambermusic.

[Steffen Fahl]

Here are the last two movements of Robert Kahns first Pianoquintett op.54
c) Andante sostenuto
d) Allegro agitato
I hope you like it.
best
fahl5

[Steffen Fahl]

Here are three wonderful songs for Voice and Piano of which two of them are also composed for Voice and Orchestra by Kahn (the arrangement of the third for Pianoquintetett and Voice I have done myself since I've been asked for)

(I beg you pardon that I don't have any better Voice than the one of my PC however imperfect this solution may be, at least it allows me to explore this wonderful music for the very first time and perhaps may inspire other more giftet singers and their pianist (or conductors) to try to perform this wonderful music.)

Let me start with the:
Preludium op.31,1 "Singe, o singe dich Seele". on a late romantic poem by Christian Morgenstern, who was a personal friend of Robert Kahn.

Both the Pianoversion aswell as the orchestraversion are originally by Kahn.

[Steffen Fahl]

This is the "Naenie" op.44,1 on a classical Poem by Friedrich Schiller
Again both the pianovrsion and the orchestra version are original, but only the pianoversion was published, the orchestralversion was made based on the manuscript-score (which I was able to copy privatly from the very friendly descendants of Robert Kahn).

[Steffen Fahl]

(Ok for Filesize-reasons I have to attach the orchestral version of the "Nanie" op.44,1 here)

And finally here is one of his early songs "Ein Obdach gegen Sturm und Regen" op.6,5 on a Poem by the early romantic poet Friedrich Rückert (an my own arrangement for Voice and Pianoquintett which perhaps coould hide some of the shortcommings of my PC-voices a bit better  )

However imperfect the voice might be I still hope I am able to give at least a little first impression of this wonderful undiscovered repertoire for pianochambermusic/songs here.
best
fahl5

[michael_sayers]

Thanks for sharing these!


Mvh,
Michael

[Steffen Fahl]

Thanks for sharing these!


Mvh,
Michael

Thank you for your friendly interest. At least you are are first and only of more than thousand visitors who found time for a little and friendly comment. This seems to me nearly as rare here, as my interest for unknown composers like Kahn seem to be here.
Thank you
Steffen

[michael_sayers]

Thank you for your friendly interest. At least you are are first and only of more than thousand visitors who found time for a little and friendly comment. This seems to me nearly as rare here, as my interest for unknown composers like Kahn seem to be here.
Thank you
Steffen

People tend to move and behave in crowds.  Sometimes a composer is just forgotten because the crowd's interest is elsewhere.


Mvh,
Michael

[Steffen Fahl]

obviously....
imho music deserves variety more than crowd behavior

I personally like standard repertoire as much as I like to discover unknown music.
To combine both is in my opinion very helpful and inspiring to stay curious in both directions.

thanks again for your friendly interest

best
fahl5