Pianophilia

Two new first recordings of music for Violin and Piano by Robert Kahn on klassik-resampled:
You must have heard Kahns Sonata op.5 and you understand, why Clara Schumann, Joseph Joachim and Johannes Brahms liked Kahns music.
1) two pieces for Violin and Piano op.4
2) 1. Sonata for Violin and Piano op.5 (Score on IMSLP)
I hope you like the music...
fahl5

Here are my recordings of Robert Kahn's:

Robert Kahns 2. Sonata for Violin & Piano op.26.
AFAIK it is the only Piece of Kahn for Violin & Piano wich is already available as recording one time (!) before, since a Health-ensurance from Kahns Birthtown "Mannheim" sponsored a CD with Chambermusic with relation to Mannheim. But I fear you cannot get this recording via amazon, jpc or likewise distributors. This Piece also is Part of the Max-Rostal-Competition Repertoire.

And here are the very first recordings of Robert Kahn's:

Robert Kahn: five Tonbilder op.36

written in 1902 but as far critics indicate not played public before some Concerts with Helene Ferchland in 1904-5 summing up the contemporary critics from that time no one pretends that those little pieces are anything like a "Hauptwerk" of Kahn while there are enough critics that perceive subtle tasteful and melodic warm composed music. This is exactly why and how I do also like them.

However I hope my recording is not to awful to give at least a tiny Idea of Kahns great music.
(Since I am in germany I am not yet allowed to upload the scores, I fear I should wait further 8 Years with that.)

Thank you. It is very pleasant to discover these rare works.

Here comes the first ever published recordings of Robert Kahns:

A) 3. Sonata in E-Major (Score at the IMSLP)

premiered 1907 with Carl Halir at the Berliner Singakademie. (for this one we know from mentioning in privat letters, that Kahn was already 1906 busy with composing this sonata.)
It is one of the most ambitious Works for Violin and Piano composed by Kahn.

1) Andante sostenuto - Presto
Unlike the most sonatas the first movement is the shortest,

2) Allegro molto vivace
the second movement is kind of a vivid scherzo.

3) Adagio - Allegro energico - Andante sostenuto
The third movement is the most important, most ambitious of the sonata. The whole movement is larger than the first two together. It starts with an adagio Introduction the only really slow part of the sonata. The following allegro energico contains as brilliant as complex fugato ending with a reprise of the beginning of the first movement.

and Robert Kahns:

B) Suite op.69 for Violin and Piano, (I am sorry, that as a german I am not yet allowed to post the score. Please be patient another 8 years )

dedicated to the young Adolf Busch who became with ca. 25 years the youngest Violin-Prof. at the "königliche Hochschule für Musik" in Berlin and played 1918 a couple of concerts with his colleague Kahn. Published in 1920, the first evidence of a concertprogramm with op.69 is a concert 1919 with the 23 year old Georg Kulenkampf-Post.

It is neither a large projected composition as Kahns Sonatas nor it is only a couple of romantic characterpieces, like Kahns "Tonbilder". It is in parts very brilliant music especially for the Violinist, that imho seem to give very talented violinists enough opportunity to show what they are able to both technically as musically.

I you like the music
greetings
fahl5

Here are the very first recordings of Robert Kahns:

4 Tonbilder for Viola and Piano

Two of the manuskripts are dated "April 1905" (Nr.2) and "Mai 1905" (Nr.4). Since Kahn played them several times (1907-08) in concert, we know that he himself obviously did not decided to publish them even in a time when nearly all his own music he performed was also published soon. But meanwhile he hesitated to publish the Tonbilder for Viola, he still seemed to liked them enough to play them publicly.

Some critics complained about missing great modern ingeniousness. However I still like them for being wonderful little romantic characterpieces.
(I am sorry that I can't give the scores, since to be sure, we still have to wait 8 years for that in Germany)

here this is anoher first time recording:

Two little pieces for Violin and Piano from manuscript

There is neither any op. nor any date nor any evidence for any concert of them at all.
The only thing worth mentioning is a titlepage with the words "zu Weihnachten" (for Christmas) which indicates the composition to be obviously part of Kahns "privat musical life". While they are totally unpretentious they still show some quite lovely tasteful romantic ideas.

completing the first time recordings of music for violin and piano of Robert Kahn with his latest works for these instruments

"Variationen über ein altes Lied" (manuscript)

Kahn performed it with Georg Kulenkampf 1925 with very friendly reactions of the critics.
It is definitely Kahns largest movement for Violin and piano and musically as technically likewise demanding.

Diary in music Nr.1132: Canzonetta (1948/49)

more than twenty years after his last composition for Violin an piano he came back to the violin one time with 84 years in his British exile. This little canzonetta is still a document of Kahns lifelong love to the Chambermusic with piano and violin it is the only piece of chambermusic he ever wrote after being emigrated. (It is impossible to date this composition exactly since Kahn missed to mark the change of the year 1948-1949 in his Diary in music. Meanwhile it is quite propable, that it is composed in early 1949.)

Perhaps I will complete my recordings of Kahns Duo-compositions with the three works for Cello later.
I hope you got at least a first impression of this great music.
greetings
fahl5

To complete my recordings of Robert Kahns Duo-compositions here are the Works for Cello & Piano:

a) 1. Sonata op.37
b) 2. Sonata op.56
c) 3 Pieces op.25

I hope you like the music.
best
fahl5