Gustav Uwe Jenner | The violin sonatas

Gustav Uwe Jenner | The violin sonatas

Gustav Uwe Jenner was the one and only composition scholar of Johannes Brahms. This recording presents a world premiere interpretation of Jenner’s violin sonatas.

Jenner himself designated his Violin sonata in A minor Op. 8 as his first. Although this sonata cannot conceal the influence of his teacher Brahms, Jenner was able to find his own way of musical expression.

The four-movement B flat major Sonata, which is actually Jenner’s first violin sonata, bursts with an exuberant love of life and joy in music-making. The mood of this work is best caraterized by the rhyming motto with which Jenner prefaced the work: “Lovely days of bouquets and radiant summer sun”.Jenner dedicated the sonata to Hanna Bruns, the daughter of a friend from Kiel as an expression of life-long gratitude for the help which he had received from his Kiel mentors.

The Violin Sonata No. 3 in E flat major was composed in 1899. Typical for this sonata is the contrast between flat and sharp keys. Jenner dedicated this work with profond gratitude to the poet Karl Groth on the poet’s 80th birthday.