Presents
Robert Kahn
Violin Sonata No.1 in g minor, Op.5
Robert Kahn's Violin Sonata No.1 in g minor dates from 1886 just after he had completed his studies with Josef Rheinberger. When he played the sonata for Brahms who turned pages for him, Kahn recalled the smile on Brahms face and the grunts of approval as each movement was played. When Clara Schumann played it she wrote:
"I played a violin sonata this evening by Kahn with the violinist Koning and enjoyed it very much.—more than I can recall enjoying anything by the younger generation. The sonata has passion, warmth, charm and superb workmanship. Yes, it is true it shows the the influence of Brahms and my Robert, but what harm is there in that when he displays such great talent.”
The opening movement, Allegro moderato e energico, has for its main theme, a subject full of energy while the lyrical second provides a fine contrast. The vocal quality of the writing of the middle movement, Adagio ma non troppo, could just as easily have been used for a Lied and shows why he became so well-known for his lieder. The heavily syncopated finale, Allegro vivace, according to contemporaries sound quite modern, but from a distance we can still here the influence of Brahms.
Robert Kahn (1865-1951) was born in Mannheim of a well-to-do banking family. He began his studies at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin. There, he got to know and became friends with Joseph Joachim who was the director. It was through both Joachim and his own family that he had a chance to get to know Brahms, who was so impressed with Kahn that he offered to give him composition lessons. However, Kahn was too overawed to accept. Nevertheless, Brahms did help Kahn informally, and while Kahn's work does, to some extent, show the influence of Brahms, he is an eclectic and independent composer whose music has its own originality. After finishing his studies in Berlin, Kahn, on Brahms' suggestion, went to Munich to study with Joseph Rheinberger. After completing his own studies, he worked for a while as a free lance composer before obtaining a position at the Hochschule in Berlin where he eventually became a professor of piano and composition.
This substantial sonata is fine addition to the late romantic repertoire for violin and piano. Long out of print, we are very pleased to make it available once again in hopes that it will soon appear in recital halls.
Parts: $24.95
