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.

Company	Matrix No.	Size	First Recording Date	Title	Primary Performer	Description	Role
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