Kahn's String Quartet No.2 in a minor was composed in 1912 and published two years later. It was dedicated to the Klinger String Quartet, then one of the foremost ensembles in Europe. Karl Klinger, the leader of the quartet, was not only a famous violinist, soloist, and concertmaster, but he had also studied composition with Kahn. Although the Quartet is only in three movements, it is a very big work. The style reflects late German Romanticism, showing the influence of Brahms. Some might even say it is the kind of work Brahms would have written had he lived another 15 years. The opening Allegro is by turns sedate, stormy, lyrical, and dramatic. The middle movement, Molto vivace, in 6/8, is a kind of scherzo full of forward motion and, to some extent, sounding rather like Paul Dukas. The huge finale, Tema con variazione, ends this work. Composers who have ended their works with a theme and set of variations frequently have a difficult time succeeding in creating a satisfying finale. In doing so, Kahn may well have had Beethoven's Harp String Quartet in mind. The theme, which is given out as an Andante con moto, is itself quite unusual and requires close attention. The variations which follow are quite ingenious. Our soundbite presents only approximately half of the variations.
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 freelance composer before obtaining a position at the Hochschule in Berlin, where he eventually became a professor of piano and composition.
What a tremendous pity that a work so fine as this is virtually unknown. Long out of print, it is with pleasure that we reintroduce it. We wish to thank Maestro Oliver Kipp, who graciously provided us with a recording of a concert from one of his master classes.
