Robert Kahn - Leaves from the tree of life - Ensemble Emigré (2021) [Official Digital Download 24/96]

Robert Kahn was born in Mannheim in 1865 and died in Biddenden, Kent in 1951. How did a composer who impressed Brahms, and who the older composer offered to give lessons to end up in the UK in a small village? Kahn became an influential professor of music at the Berlin Hochschule, and before that had his works performed by the Joachim Quartet, and the Berlin Philharmonic under Hans von Bülow. Kahn was a friend of Joachim, von Bülow, Adolf Busch and Richard Mühlfeld. His compositional style was along the lines of Mendelssohn, Schuman and Brahms, he was an admirer of Reger, whose contrapuntalism no doubt had an influence upon Kahn. He avoided large scale romantic forms, and became famed for his songs, choral works, chamber music and the huge Tagebuch in Tönen, (Music from the Tree of Life) a collection of solo piano works, suites for piano and lieder that run to over 1100 pieces.

Things started to go wrong for Kahn with the rise of the Nazis. Branded ‘degenerate’ by the National Socialists, he was thrown out of his teaching positions, and in 1937 left for the UK, settling in Kent and composing right up to his death. This album is a fascinating introduction to a composer that political extremism and hatred tried and failed to erase.

TRACKLIST

01. Ensemble Emigré - 3 Stücke for cello and piano, Op. 25: I. Romanze in F Minor
02. Ensemble Emigré - 7 Gesänge, Op. 27: II. 's ist ein so stiller heil'ger Tag
03. Ensemble Emigré - 6 Lieder und Gesänge, Op. 20: II. Novemberfeier
04. Ensemble Emigré - 6 Lieder, Op. 52: I. Idyll
05. Ensemble Emigré - 10 Lieder, Op. 42: X. Liebestrost
06. Ensemble Emigré - Tagebuch in Tönen (Leaves from the Tree of Life): No. 500 (Variations on No. 1) in A-Flat. Andante
07. Ensemble Emigré - Tagebuch in Tönen (Leaves from the Tree of Life): No. 3 in C-Sharp Minor. Allegretto non troppo
08. Ensemble Emigré - Tagebuch in Tönen (Leaves from the Tree of Life): No. 4 in C-Sharp Minor. Andantino con moto, quasi improvisato
09. Ensemble Emigré - Tagebuch in Tönen (Leaves from the Tree of Life): No. 5 in F Minor. Assai sostenuto ed espressivo
10. Ensemble Emigré - Tagebuch in Tönen (Leaves from the Tree of Life): No. 53 in E. Allegretto con moto
11. Ensemble Emigré - Tagebuch in Tönen (Leaves from the Tree of Life), Jeanne Suite: No. 473a in G. Moderato
12. Ensemble Emigré - Tagebuch in Tönen (Leaves from the Tree of Life), Jeanne Suite: No. 473b in G. Poco allegretto
13. Ensemble Emigré - Tagebuch in Tönen (Leaves from the Tree of Life), Jeanne Suite: No. 473c in G. Allegretto vivace
14. Ensemble Emigré - Tagebuch in Tönen (Leaves from the Tree of Life), Jeanne Suite: No. 474 in E Minor. Andante sostenuto
15. Ensemble Emigré - Tagebuch in Tönen (Leaves from the Tree of Life), Jeanne Suite: No. 475 in G. Vivace
16. Ensemble Emigré - 9 Lieder nach Gedichten von Christian Morgenstern, Op. 31: No. 2. Liebesbrief
17. Ensemble Emigré - 9 Lieder nach Gedichten von Christian Morgenstern, Op. 31: No. 8. Die Unke
18. Ensemble Emigré - 5 Lieder, Op. 38: No. 5. Feuerbestattung
19. Ensemble Emigré - 9 Lieder im Volkston, Op. 47: No. 9. Gebet
20. Ensemble Emigré - Quintet in C Minor for piano, violin, cello, clarinet and horn, Op. 54: I. Allegro non troppo
21. Ensemble Emigré - Quintet in C Minor for piano, violin, cello, clarinet and horn, Op. 54: II. Presto assai
22. Ensemble Emigré - Quintet in C Minor for piano, violin, cello, clarinet and horn, Op. 54: III. Andante sostenuto
23. Ensemble Emigré - Quintet in C Minor for piano, violin, cello, clarinet and horn, Op. 54: IV. Allegro agitato



Thanks to the Original customer.