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Title: An Undiscoverd Master of the Lied
Review: The two volumes of songs by Robert Kahn (1865-1951), sung by tenor Martin Dillon, are an important contribution to the recorded heritage of the German lied, and a most attractive listening experience. A Jew, Kahn had the good fortune to leave Germany for England in l939, but his work was long suppressed and has yet to see the revival of interest it deserves.There is no great melodic gift displayed here but musical and expressive talent abounds, and I'd guess that some of these songs could be passed off as written by Hugo Wolf without too many raised eyebrows. Dillon doesn't have a "beautiful" voice, but he has the style down pat, as do David Holkeboer, the pianist on this first disc, and the two string players who join him on the refreshing seven-lieder Jungbrunnen cycle. For a brief description of the second disc, see my review.
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