Concert Review
David Kuehn, Trumpet with Ken Mervine, organ and Dan Kuehn, trumpet
International Trumpet Guild Conference, Denver Colorado
Thursday, June 17, 2004 — 11am
 
Entering the beautiful new Hamilton Recital Hall inspired a mood of awe and majesty. Gazing at the magnificent organ, the audience was filled with anticipation as we awaited the start of David Kuehn’s recital. Kuehn has an extensive career performing with major orchestras and chamber ensembles for many years. Among these include the Michigan Opera Theatre, Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings, Buffalo Philharmonic, and Phoenix Symphony. What we were treated to was a recital that was played with extreme sensitivity, lyricism, control, technical facility, and beauty that was well worth the wait of the delayed start.
 
Kuehn began the recital with Concertina for Trumpet and Organ, Op. 41 by Joseph Jongen. The piece opened with a beautiful introduction that was played with rich sonorities from both trumpet and organ, and soaring melodic lines from Kuehn all done with a pure sound and excellent sense of expression. Throughout, Kuehn played with great intonation, superb phrasing, and evenness of sound in all registers. The second half of the piece was, by contrast, more playful and lighthearted. Kuehn played with ease and great control, especially in the rapid double-tonguing section. The closing section combined the soaring melodies, playful qualities, and fanfare motives serving to unify the piece as it came to a close.
 
Next was Elegy for Trumpet and Organ, Op. 27 (to Harry Kvebaek) by Øistein Sommerfeldt. As the title implies, the piece contains many religious qualities and relies on hymn tune usage. A relatively short work, Elegy began with a simple held note that invoked the solemn and contemplative quality of the work. Again, Kuehn performed with an excellent sense of phrasing, musicianship, and resonance. The climax near the end of the piece was performed with the power and intensity demanded while then returning to the solemn mood of the beginning. Both Kuehn and organist Ken Mervine played with remarkable sensitivity.
 
One of the highlights of the recital occurred when Kuehn and his brother, Dan Kuehn, also an accomplished trumpet player, performed From the Mountain-Top by Persis Parshall Vehar written for two trumpets and organ. Structured in an ABA form, the piece began antiphonally with David Kuehn, stage left in the balcony, performing melodic fragments which were echoed back by Dan, who was off stage, creating a distinct echo effect as if playing into the valley. The overall effect was tremendous as both players performed flawlessly and the organ sustained soft chords underneath. The second section brought the brothers together in the balcony for a duet that was more dance-like. This section was interrupted with fragments of the call and response motives. Both David and Dan performed the quick arpeggiated figures without any sense of the technical demand necessary. The final section returned to the off stage echo effect and was again played with ease and precision. The work ended on a beautiful major chord in the organ bringing a heightened sense of peace and repose to this inspired piece.
 
The recital ended with Concerto in Re by Giuseppe Tartini. The first movement was done with the brilliance and purity of sound demanded of this literature, while the second movement provided the appropriate contrast in sensitivity. Kuehn made the upper range sound effortless and played with great intonation. The third movement was very light and playful with the passages of multiple tonguing executed with exact precision and character. The brilliantly played cadenza brought a magnificent close to this great recital and left the audience refreshed and wanting more.
 

Eleanor Roosevelt
 
Long before Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, there was Eleanor Roosevelt—another human being caught in the crosshairs between the old world and a New Deal; between war and peace; between passion and duty; between a man’s world and her own; between apathy and courage; between poverty and health care; between bigotry and freedom; between heroes and veterans; between the old view of the US and a better, improved one; and between being lesser partner and world role model.
 
The Opera, Eleanor, based on Rhoda Lerman’s one-woman play, tells the fascinating and strangely parallel story of a world almost a century away that looks uncannily like our own in the 21st century. As seen through Eleanor’s eyes, we a find a USA struggling to promote peace, prosperity, equality, dignity, and respect for all, after the fall-out from some very troublesome times.
 
Eleanor Roosevelt was a role model who rose out of an old world passing away—her husband’s life; her own humiliation at his hands; her ignorance of war’s reality; a lack of code for humane treatment of troops in battle, veterans, mothers, and children; an end to bigotry and religious bias; and a USA that needed a new image—to a new world coming.
 
Just as we have today courageous heroes tempered by their own hard times, so, too, was Eleanor Roosevelt. And in an operatic world where women characters are relegated to stereotypical roles as “angels” or “whores”—victims in either case—here is a refreshing new role for a woman: intelligent, betrayed, unsupported, and alone, but accomplished. A woman who rose to become a world leader and model for all following her today, as she even now lives on in her own writings, biographies, dramas, and now ... an opera!
 

Eleanor Roosevelt

“‘Eleanor Roosevelt’, an opera in two acts, garnered a warm reception at the Saturday world premiere produced by Society for New Music. A strong cast, simple but authentic sets, and an excellent chamber orchestra—conducted by Heather Buchman—combined to create uniformly high-quality entertainment and a glimpse into early 20th Century American history through a woman who forged pathways of justice, opportunity and equality. Composer Persis Parshall Vehar’s talent is matched by her wisdom, which she demonstrated by not attempting to cover the entire lifetime accomplishments of Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) ... Her (Eleanor’s) subtle comic lines garnered spontaneous and genuine laught ... One of the strongest moments was Moriaty’s closing solo in Act 1 after she met three French widows, saw (as the audience sees through projections of WW 1 images) the trenches and the burial ground of slaughtered men, and understood the ravages of war ... Vehar’s music built throughout this scene to the culminating declaration that ‘all human beings are born free and equal’ ... ’Eleanor Roosevelt’ is an artistic look at some of the personal struggles of a significant public figure. In exploring and celebrating the vibrant and visionary woman she was, Vehar, librettist Gabrielle Vehar, and all who worked on the production, help save Eleanor from the fate of so many other historical personalities: that of being represented as just a name and a few lines in a textbook.”

“The premiere of a new opera based on the life of Eleanor Roosevelt by Persis Vehar drew near capacity crowds to a pair of performances at the Carrier Theater in Syracuse last weekend. In the title role, soprano Bridget Moriarty vividly recreated the character of one of the most significant American women in the 20th century, as brought to life in the libretto by Gabrielle Vehar, and in the wonderfully melodic and transparently orchestrated score, by composer Persis Vehar, in which every word of the text was intelligible.”

Emily D

“For Earth, For Heaven has the feel of a future salon favorite. It was sheerly exquisite. There was instant audience response with appreciative applause.”

From Buk’s Battered Heart

“Vehar’s ability to create seamless dramatic continuity from (Bukowski’s) material borders on mystical ... Vehar’s music should take its deserved place in the repertoire.”

“In the soft-edged pieces, a revealing tenderness lurked.”

Peace Requiem

“Requiem aeternam modulating upward on three chords, has a strikingly heart warming effect, radiating optimism.”

Bukowski: Blood, Guts & Tears

“The set of songs deserves repeated listenings.”

Sound-Piece for Organ

“Vehar continues to be a composer unafraid to try new ideas, to be different, but with a comfortable framework of accessibility for the listener.”

George Sand...And Chopin?

“Vehar never falters as she creates a warp speed of drama, emotional contrast, and character development within a musical atmosphere capable of both subtle and dramatic shifts as determined by the text ... This work provides gorgeous, intimate music for each character to sing, yet there are moments of dramatic emotional distress, humorous satire and rhythmically challenging duets that leave one almost breathless with excitement.”

“The concluding duet can make a listener laugh out loud in delight.”

City of Light CD

“Back in Fanfare 24:1, I reviewed an omnibus release on the Fleur de Son label (FDS 57934) dedicated to a host of 20th-century trumpet pieces accompanied by piano. The trumpeter was David Kuehn; the pianist, Persis Parshall Vehar. Both Kuehn and Vehar were brilliant as performers. Among the pieces was one by Vehar—Sound Piece for trumpet, flugelhorn, piccolo trumpet, and piano. I found that piece ingratiating in its integration of tongue-in-cheek insouciance with moments of inspired lyricism. Now, 10 years later, I’ve finally come into possession of a disc fully dedicated to the music of Persis Parshall Vehar. In this case, all of her virtues are beautifully realized.
 
“Vehar is currently in her 12th year as composer-in-residence at Canisius College, Buffalo, New York. As a composer, she has studied privately under Warren Benson, Ross Lee Finney, Roberto Gerhard, and Ned Rorem—a fine pedigree by any measure. A lot of her disarming quirkiness, however, I suspect results from her attendance at advanced composition workshops with such Philosophically differing luminaries as Milton Babbitt, John Cage, Leon Kirchner, Roger Sessions, and Jacob Druckman. One cannot experience such influences without concluding that any sort of universal musical reality is, to quote Lily Tomlin somewhat out of context, “an overrated concept.” And so one finds in Vehar’s music a masterly integration of many supposedly mutually exclusive elements—comfortably jazzoid passages cleverly intertwined with harsh moments of extended instrumental techniques, and moments wherein patches of rather severe dissonance uncannily melt into soaring lyricism. At the risk of once again nailing shingles to the fog, I sense the influence of Le Six in her stuff, but here with an undeniably American accent.
 
“In terms of scale and complexity, the largest piece on this offering is her City of Light clarinet concerto. It was commissioned by John Fullam, the distinguished performer on this disc. Fullam is currently principal clarinetist of the Buffalo Philharmonic, and has a résumé that documents performances as principal clarinetist and soloist with such ensembles and venues as the Saratoga Performing Arts Center with Eugene Ormandy, the Marlboro Festival with Pablo Casals and Rudolf Serkin, and the Tanglewood Festival with Leonard Bernstein and Seiji Ozawa. Composed with his technical guidance, the work gestated for three years. According to Vehar’s liner notes, “[This] programmatic concerto is composed on two levels; in one sense it is based on the actual physical progression of Buffalo at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries from a city illuminated by gaslight to the first electrically lighted city on the globe. … Secondly, the concerto also musically demonstrates the growth of any creative idea from its inception to its successful climax.” The live performance on this CD is from Fullam’s and Falletta’s second go at it on April 29, 2007. It is a stunner. With its eclectic use of jazz intertwined with Gregorian chant, Irish keening, and moments of diatonic lyricism all underpinned by a both trenchant and kaleidoscopic orchestration, I found the concerto an illuminating musical odyssey.
 
“I won’t dwell on the remaining chamber-music pieces that round out this offering except to say that they show Vehar to be a resourceful master of both instrumental color and scale. As in the concerto, their affective range runs from the intensely poetic to the decidedly tongue-in-cheek, best exemplified by her Jukebox Dances for clarinet and piano, the first movement of which is titled “Tango for Two Left Feet.”
 
“The sound is fine and certainly up to the task. I have not only taken pleasure, but will undoubtedly continue to do so with this quite quirkily magical disc.”
 

Pushed Aside
“The ayes have it for world premiere opera about Suffragist Matilda Joslyn Gage”

"Audience members in the sold-out Carrier Theater gave a strong affirmative vote in the form of a standing ovation for the Jan. 21 world premier of ‘Pushed Aside: Reclaiming Gage’.
 
... Having been one of the original suffragist triumvirate, with Susan B. Anthony (Juliane Price) and Elizabeth Cady Stanton (Laura Enslin), to spearhead the women's movement, Gage was later shunned, and her contributions have been largely overlooked. Her fault, as it was perceived by her suffragist sisters, was not in lack of energy or courage, but rather it was in her determination to extend liberty to all people, including the African-Americans and Native-Americans that she saw as equals.
 
... The score by Persis Parshall Vehar ... references American music of the period as well as Native American rhythms and melodies. The music conveys a sense of each individual's character, with the motif for the title character revealing her endless energy and intelligence.
 
... ‘Pushed Aside’ is ready to move beyond its Central New York roots. It is a landmark achievement for the Society for New Music, a successful historical opera that can be produced across the nation as America celebrates the 2020 Centennial of the 19th Amendment, guaranteeing women the right to vote.

Sound-Piece for Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Piccolo Trumpet & Piano

“It is at once jazzy and pointillistic. Both serious and tongue-in-cheek, it integrates a wide and divergent array of melodic material into a cogently worked out essay.”

“Here, Vehar’s music has a jazz influence, but she’s no third-stream composer. Her melodic writing can be quite angular, but it does not leave a listener feeling dizzy. She admires clarity and simplicity, yet can be complex and certain passages made me think of Ives, for who simplicity and complexity were the light and dark of a day.”

L’aqua Vivaldi

“Extraordinary composer.”

“Vehar’s work was a joy ... immediately accessible ... took on the lightness that is the hallmark of Vivaldi. Like Vivaldi’s music, Vehar’s was overwhelmingly bright and unintimidating. The audience loved it.”

A Hill of Bones

“The Greater Buffalo Opera Company intends for the play to be performed in schools to promote environmental awareness and multi-cultural understanding. There is no question about either its meaning or its direction. It is a 20th-century morality play. The music is very accessible throughout, with a particularly effective section in which the parents argue. As they alternate between ‘sure’ and ‘not sure,’ the music and the argument masterfully interweave ‘sure’ harmony and ‘not sure’ dissonance.”

Spring Things

“A delightful group of three short songs for SSA chorus—their range makes these songs very suitable for young untrained voices.”

“Surely rank among the most beguilingly simple and beautiful of her bountiful oeuvre.”

In Celebration

“It made a very good first impression ... the interest sustained throughout ... rippling, roiling music.”

O Sacrum Convivium

“The seamless sound created a growing intensity without increased volume. It was very effective.”

From The Mountain-Top

“One of the highlights of the recital occurred when Kuehn and his brother, Dan Kuehn, also an accomplished trumpet player, performed From The Mountain-Top by Persis Parshall Vehar ... The overall effect was tremendous ... the work ended on a beautiful major chord in the organ bringing a hightened sense of peace and repose to this inspired piece.”

Light, Lux, Svietlo

“... expertly crafted, flows well, often on the pulse of a quirky waltz rhythm, and is structured with a palpable sense of logic.”

Inevitable Dawn

“As described in the title, there is an inevitability to the development that is no less spectacular for its expectation. There is spiritual content in this celebration that Vehar integrates naturally. It never seems superimposed.”

Sounds of the Outdoors

“This is music of lovely sounds and coherent phrases. She is a traditional melodist with a French bent, and the saxophone is a most appropriate instrument for her music. Its beauties were savored—its rich tone, range and versatility.”

4 Developments for bassoon

“An inventive work that played off of the bassoon’s jocular character without making it seem like a parody.”

“... a delight of harsh harmonies, springingl rhythms, and sonic experiments in extended techniques for both instruments. Vehar is solid in her craft—we may think about what she’s concocting, and we may trace her antecedents (Stravinsky for one, surely) but she also makes us enjoy the sound of the bassoon, and its character, which is much more that that of a clown (in a little waltz movement the bassoon is something of a dancing bear).”

Women, Women & Three from Emily

“She excels at coloristic vocal writing and tongue in cheek humor.”

String Quartet

“The second movement seems to seek a level of spirituality similar to that achieved by Beethoven in some of his great slow movements.”

Yesteryear Suite

“Modeled after the Baroque dance-suite, it is well-crafted and Vehar’s keen awareness of her models is everywhere evident, be they distant or not so distant.”

Four Attitudes

“There is much to admire here ... all in a very accessible idiom.”

Missa Brevis Pro Pace

“The music is very attractive and seemed a serendipitous program choice in these troubled times ...” (The start of the first Iraq War)

Three Renaissance Tableaux

“These are sweet, simple playful settings. It’s a modern piece in its looking back.”

Three from Emily

“Continual interplay between voice, cello and piano creates a spritely, humorous effect ... It is well written and rewarding for all performers.”

“Ashore At Last ... one of the most captivating songs to be published recently ... The effect is almost ethereal.”