Florian Störtz & Aleksandra Myslek reveal among the gems to be discovered within the output of a comparatively forgotten composer compelled into exile by the Nazis

Robert Kahn

Robert Kahn, Robert Schumann, Erich Korngold, Paul Hindemith; Florian Störtz, Aleksandra Myslek; Metropolis Music Basis at Tallow Chandlers’ Corridor
Reviewed 16 December 2024

Forbidden by the Nazis and compelled to really feel to England in his 70s, the music of Robert Kahn has remained considerably undervalued and right here we have been handled to a wealthy exploration of his music output alongside music of his contemporaries and influences

I’ve been conscious of Robert Kahn and his music for some appreciable time as I grew to become associates with one in all Kahn’s great-grandchildren within the Nineties. However Kahn’s music has remained considerably elusive in efficiency. Kahn (1865-1951) was extremely influenced by the music of Robert Schumann and friendship with Johannes Brahms within the Eighties additionally had a big impact on his music. Kahn educated with Clara Schumann’s half-brother and with Josef Rheinberger. He was additionally a distinguished lieder accompanist, his music maybe considerably conservative when in comparison with his colleagues. 

His Jewishness led to issues, nevertheless; Kahn and his spouse fled to England within the Nineteen Thirties and he died in Biddenden in Kent in 1951. You may learn extra about Kahn in Norbert Meyn’s article on the Royal School of Music’s web site, while the Robert Kahn web site gives a number of info and an inventory of works

The excellent news is that London-based German bass-baritone Florian Störtz and pianist Aleksandra Myslek are planning to report a goodly number of Kahn’s songs. At their Metropolis Music Basis lunchtime recital on Monday 16 December 2024 on the Tallow Chandlers’ Corridor, Störtz and Myslek carried out a number of Robert Kahn’s songs alongside these of Robert Schumann and Kahn’s contemporaries, Erich Korngold and Paul Hindemith.

Robert Kahn’s songs started with a bunch consisting of Es struggle der Tag der weissen Chrysanthemem, Das Glück, Am Schlehdom,Der Liebe Macht, and Scheuche doch mit deinem Pfeile. I haven’t got entry to an entire record of Kahn’s music, however judging from the opus numbers, the songs have been heard all date from the primary 20 years of the Twentieth century., a interval when Kahn was working with distinguished singers as an accompanist too. And taking a look at Kahn’s work record, it appears that evidently after the Twenties he wrote far fewer songs, although it might be fascinating to listen to the few late examples.

There have been no translations on the live performance, which was a trifle irritating. On this group, Kahn’s model moved from the lyrically Schumannesque, to vividly quick quasi-Richard Strauss, to characterful story telling, an impulsive but very Twentieth-century waltz and extra perky character within the method of Richard Strauss.

The second group of Kahn songs started with a strong and substantial setting of Nänie which proved to be extra of a large-scale response to Schiller’s poetry than a compact lied, and gave a touch of Kahn’s talents as a dramatic composer. Lastly on this group, the lyrically flowing Sehnsucht after which O weht night time which ended this group on a distinctly stormy and really Twentieth century observe.

We moved to Korngold subsequent for the third of his Vier Lieder des Abschieds, right here Korngold mixed wealthy, virtually lush harmonies with a sluggish severe method and a vocal line that had distinctly Twentieth century inflections. The century was way more noticeable in Paul Hindemith’s Drei Hymnen, three settings of Walt Whitman’s poetry in translation. The primary appear to evoke Kurt Weill in his extra severe Berlin interval, while the second was lyrical but spare with remarkably little piano and the third, seeing ‘Beat, Beat, Drums!’ proved to be a vivid but actually not simplistic march that mixed a full piano half with an actual exploration of the phrases.

Kahn’s Nachtlied got here subsequent, lyrical, Schumannesque music have been the night time was distinctly heat. Schumann’s personal Mein wagen rollet langsam proved to be an intriguing music that the composer initially wrote for Dichterliebe however dropped. This was adopted by a fascinating account of In der Fremde from Liederkreis, Op. 39.

The 2 ultimate Kahn songs have been Uber den Bergen and Wo? The primary melodically memorable, but severe and considerate, the second, quite severe with a hanging piano accompaniment.

Lastly we heard Korngold’s Unvergänglichkeit, a gently Autumnal piece stuffed with melancholy. As an encore Störtz and Myslek ended on a seasonal observe with Kahn’s model of the Christmas custom, Josef lieber,, Josef mein.