presumable World First Recordings of Sandor Jemnitz (1890-1963) early Pianomusic

[Steffen Fahl]

I would like to share with you some recordings of one imho very underestimated contemporary of for instance S.Prokofiev. Alexander (Sandor) Jemnitz in Budapest grownup Composer studied as well with   Max Reger as with Arnold Schoenberg. Adorno called him the most important Student of Schoenberg benath Webern and Berg.  From a pianistic point of view he seems to me even perhaps more interesting since his early Pianomusic demonstrate a brilliant pianistic ability, being at the same time very much rooted in late romantic musical gesture as interested to open that up to a new wealth of musical ideas his musical thinking might still contribute interesting answers for the question what is possible between a strong commitment to our classic-romantic tradition and the need to explore new regions of musical expression.

I want to present his music in a kind of digital paralellinterpretation experiment aswell in the sound of a modern Bechstein D 282 as in the sound of a Pleyel Grandpiano build 1926 in the time when most of this music was written.  So allow me to present each pieces therefor in two versions.

Lets start with his three pieces In der Regerstunde op 2 reflecting his early studies with Max Reger. Here comes the modern Bechstein-Version:

[Steffen Fahl]

Here is op.2 in the Pleyel 1926 Version

[Steffen Fahl]

Here is the first Sonatina op.4 (Bechstein Version)

[Steffen Fahl]

Here is the same Sonatina op 4,1 in the Pleyel 1926 Version:

[Steffen Fahl]

Here is the Sonatina op 4,2 in the Bechstein Version:

[Steffen Fahl]

This is the Sonatina op4,2 in the Pleyel 1926 Version:

[Steffen Fahl]

The 17 Bagatellen op.5 seem to be an imporant early composition of Jemnitz, since hee came back yyears later and orchestrated several of the pieces. It is often beautiful sometimes brillian sometimes still very romantic early expressionist pianomusik. I hope you like those pieces- Lets start with the first 4 Pieces of the Bechstein Version:

[Steffen Fahl]

Lets continue with the next four pieces of the Bechstein Version of Jemnitz op.5:

[Steffen Fahl]

Here are another three Bagatellen op.5 by Jemnitz in the Bechstein -Version

[Steffen Fahl]

and here are the next three bagatellen op.5:

[Steffen Fahl]

and those are the last three Bagatellen op.5 in the Bechstein Version:

[Steffen Fahl]

OK now will follow the bagatellen in the Pleyel 1926 Version.

[Steffen Fahl]

and thats are the nexxt four Bagatellen op.5 in the Pleyel-Version

[Steffen Fahl]

and another trhee Bagatellen in the Pleyel 1926-Version

[Steffen Fahl]

and further 3 Bagatellen op.5 in the Pleyel-Version

[Steffen Fahl]

And finally the last three bagatellen op.5 in the pleyel-1926-Version:

[Steffen Fahl]

Now we come to one of the imho greatest early compositions by Jemnist his first and very brilliant and inspired Pianosonata op.8 lets start with the first two movemensts "Leidenschaftlich" and "Schnell und lustig" in the Bechstein version:

[Steffen Fahl]

Followed by the 3. und 4. Movement "Langsam und mit tiefem Ausdruck"" and "Sehr lebhaft" again in the Bechstein Version

[Steffen Fahl]

Here is now the Sonata op.8 in the Pleyel-1926 Version with the first two movements:

[Steffen Fahl]

and the 3. & 4. Movement of op.8 in the Pleyel-1926-Version

[Steffen Fahl]

The second Sonata op.23 seems to me the most Schoenbergian early Pianocomposition of Jemnitz here is the BEchstein-Version first:

[Steffen Fahl]

And this is how the Sonata op.23 sound in the Pleyel-1926-Version

[Steffen Fahl]

And since I havent found the Scores of his (War Dance) (1921), Ornament (1925) and 4. Sonata to complete the early Pianoworks (If anyone can help I'll be very glad to get a copy of one or another of those three scores) of Jemnitz I must end here with the 3. Sonata op.26 here in the Bechstein Version:

[Steffen Fahl]

And finally the Pleyel-1926 Version of Jemnitz third Sonata op.26.
 I hope you like something of the music of Jemnitz, which deserves to be heard a bit more imho.