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Jenner: Brahms' Only Formal Pupil...

Sébastien Melmoth | Hôtel d'Alsace, PARIS | 02/12/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

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G. U. Jenner (1865-1920) was Brahms' only formal pupil; moreover, he was something of a surrogate son to Old Papa.



Jenner was descended from the English physician Edward Jenner, who in the 18th Century had explored vaccination methodology from the deadly smallpox virus. Jenner's own father was a practicing physician in northern Germany; unfortunately, he was almost certainly guilty of transgressing the Hippocratic Oath (as physicians frequently do even today!), and when he was accused of sexually violating female patients, he became a suicide in 1884.



After the scandal, the youthful Jenner came under the wing of the Holstein poet Klaus Groth (whose Houseman-like verses [cf. A Shropshire Lad] in Low-German dialect affected Brahms to such a degree that he set many of them to melody). Groth passed Jenner on to Brahms' own music teacher Eduard Marxsen in Hamburg, who in turn, passed the cursed/charmed youth on to Brahms in Vienna.

Quickborn.

Johannes Brahms And Klaus Groth: The Biography of a Friendship

Brahms: Lieder [Box Set]

A Shropshire Lad



Brahms arranged for Jenner to be appointed Secretary of the fin-de-siècle Vienna Composers' Society (Tonkünstlerverein)--the virtual Brahms' Circle in Vienna.



Needless to say, gruff Old Papa was merciless in his critique of Jenner's artistic products. Still, the protégé managed to write some original chamber works--though in a very Brahmsian manner, of course.



This fine disc on MD&G features a large Clarinet Sonata (G) and a Clarinet, Horn, Piano Trio (Eb), both ~:25mins. running time.



See too:

Beethoven: Eroica; Piano Quartet op. 16 in E flat

Strauss: Piano Quartet Op. 13

Dvorák: Piano Quartets Opp. 23 & 87

Schumann: Quartet, Op.47/Draeseke: Quintet, Op.48



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