Léon Jessel

Leon Jessel, or Léon Jessel (22 January 1871 – 4 January 1942) was a German composer of operettas and light classical music pieces. Today he is best known internationally as the composer of the popular jaunty march The Parade of the Tin Soldiers, also known as The Parade of the Wooden Soldiers. Jessel was a prolific composer who wrote hundreds of light orchestral pieces, piano pieces, songs, waltzes, mazurkas, marches, choruses, and other salon music. He achieved considerable acclaim with a number of his operettas — in particular Schwarzwaldmädel (Black Forest Girl), which remains popular to this day.

Because Jessel was a Jew by birth (he converted to Christianity at the age of 23), with the rise of Nazism in the late 1920s, his composing virtually came to an end, and his musical works, which had been very popular, were suppressed and nearly forgotten.

Birth and Death Data: Born January 22, 1871 (Szczecin), Died January 4, 1942 (Berlin)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1913 - 1940

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor B-13449 10-in. 6/18/1913 The wedding of the rose Arthur Pryor's Band Band composer  
Victor B-13549 10-in. 7/9/1913 The wedding of the rose Conway's Band Band composer  
Victor B-26372 10-in. 5/19/1922 Parade of the wooden soldiers International Novelty Orchestra Orchestra composer  
Victor BVE-26372 10-in. 1/25/1928 Parade of the wooden soldiers International Concert Orchestra Orchestra, with pipe organ composer  
Victor BVE-27268 10-in. 1/11/1928 Parade of the wooden soldiers Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor B-27268 10-in. 12/28/1922 Parade of the wooden soldiers Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor B-31621 10-in. 12/30/1924 Erklingen zum Tanze die Geigen Max Bloch ; Editha Fleischer Vocal duet (soprano and tenor), with orchestra composer  
Victor B-31622 10-in. 12/30/1924 Lachende Augen Max Bloch ; Editha Fleischer Vocal duet (soprano and tenor), with orchestra composer  
Victor BVE-41108 10-in. 11/25/1927 The parade of the wooden soldiers Nathaniel Shilkret ; Victor Orchestra Orchestra composer  
Victor BVE-48033 10-in. 11/7/1928 The wedding of the rose Victor Orchestra Orchestra composer  
Victor BS-037680 10-in. 6/23/1939 Parade of the wooden soliders Larry Clinton Orchestra ; Ford Leary Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Victor BS-057050 10-in. 10/29/1940 Parade of the wooden soldiers Collins H. Driggs Novachord solo composer  
Columbia 47152 10-in. 11/13/1916 The wedding of the rose Prince's Orchestra Orchestra composer  
Columbia 80344 10-in. 5/11/1922 Parade of the wooden soldiers Ray Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Columbia 6442 12-in. approximately 1915 Parade of the tin soldiers Band of the Grenadier Guards [U.K] Band composer  
OKeh S-7417 10-in. May 1920 The wedding of the rose Conway's Band Band composer  
OKeh S-70681 10-in. May 1922 Parade of the wooden soldiers Hotel Pennsylvania Orchestra ; Vincent Lopez Jazz/dance band composer  
Brunswick 8188-8190 10-in. approximately May 1922 Parade of the wooden soldiers Carl Fenton’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Brunswick 10318-10319 10-in. 4/10/1923 Die Parade der Zinnsoldaten Elise Bendix ; Paul Bendix ; Georg Seidel Mixed vocal trio, with orchestra composer  
Brunswick 10320-10321 10-in. 4/10/1923 Die Parade der Zinnsoldaten Elise Bendix ; Paul Bendix ; Georg Seidel Mixed vocal trio, with orchestra composer  
Brunswick 10340-10341 10-in. 4/11/1923 Parade of the wooden soldiers Walter B. Rogers Band Band composer  
Brunswick E27959 10-in. 8/2/1928 Parade of the wooden soldiers Anglo-Persians ; Louis Katzman Jazz/dance band composer  
Brunswick MP26 10-in. approximately Mar. 1929 Parade of the wooden soldiers Eddie Dunstedter Organ solo composer  
Edison 7301 10-in. 4/20/1920 The wedding of the rose Conway's Band Band composer  
Edison 8456 10-in. 5/17/1922 Parade of the wooden soldiers Vincent Lopez Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Edison 8737 10-in. 5/31/1923 Parade of the wooden soldiers Ray Perkins Piano solo composer  
Edison 9011 10-in. 6/6/1923 Parade of the wooden soldiers Harvey Hindermyer Male vocal solo and mixed vocal chorus, with orchestra composer  
Gramophone BDR4586 10-in. 6/8/1928 Schwarzwaldmädel : Potpourri Ferdy Kauffman Orchestra Instrumental ensemble composer  
Gramophone BDR4587 10-in. 6/8/1928 Schwarzwaldmädel : Potpourri Ferdy Kauffman Orchestra Instrumental ensemble composer  
Gramophone CLR5726 12-in. 10/24/1929 Schwarzwaldmädel H. Bruck ; Irene Eisinger ; Elisabeth Böhm van Endert ; Erik Wirl Mixed vocal ensemble, with orchestra composer  
Gramophone CLR5727 12-in. 10/24/1929 Schwarzwaldmädel H. Bruck ; Irene Eisinger ; Elisabeth Böhm van Endert ; Erik Wirl Mixed vocal chorus, with orchestra composer  
Columbia (U.K.) CA14189 10-in. between October and December 1933 Parade of the city guards The Bohemians ; G. Walter Instrumental ensemble composer  
Columbia (U.K.) CA15582 10-in. between November 1935 and February 1936 The wedding of the rose Gerry Fitzgerald ; Orchestre Raymonde Instrumental ensemble, with male vocal solo composer  
Columbia (U.K.) CA15886 10-in. between June and October 1936 Parade of the wooden soldiers Walter Landauer ; Maryan Rawicz Piano duet composer  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Jessel, Léon," accessed March 29, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103540.

Jessel, Léon. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 29, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103540.

"Jessel, Léon." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 29 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103540

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