Jenner, Gustav

Gustav Jenner – Serenade in A-major

(b. Keitum/Sylt, 3. December 1865 – d. Marburg, 29. August 1920)

Vivace p.3 Intermezzo (Moderato con sentimento – Agitato – Wiederholung des Moderato) p.21 Thema und 7 Variationen p.29 Scherzo (Presto – Allegretto – Wiederholung des Presto) p.42 Allegro Molto p.52

Preface Gustav Jenner was born the youngest in a family of three children, in the city of Keitum on the German island of Sylt. He was expected to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a physician, but began leaning heavily toward music when he was his teenage years – writing short pieces for piano, and songs that were performed at his secondary school, the Gymnasium in Kiel, Germany.

Jenner sent a set of Lieder to the publisher Simrock, who in turn showed them to Brahms, who suggested, in fact, that they should not be published. Instead, moved by the display of talent, agreed to meet through their mutual friend, poet and lyricist Klaus Groth. The first meeting was intended to be no more than asking for some advice, but Brahms offered to mentor him privately, once Jenner had made a thorough study of counterpoint (with Eusebius Mandyczewski). Tschaikovsky after a brief meeting also invited him to St. Petersburg to study with him, but Jenner did not take the opportunity. The memories of his seven years in Leipzig studying with Brahms resulted in a much-studied work, Johannes Brahms as Man, Teacher and Artist. These two volumes and other articles written by Jenner give us a very unique insight into Brahms’s approach to composition and also to mentorship. Brahms also heavily influenced Jenner’s career: He suggested Jenner for the post of Secretary of the Vienna Tonkünstlerverein, and then recommended him for the post of university music director of the Philipps University of Marburg in 1985, where Jenner remained until his death in 1920.

Read full preface / Komplettes Vorwort lesen > HERE