Max Kuhn was an entirely
new name to me, before having a brief
encounter with his music on Guild’s
20th Century organ programme
(GMCD
7285). Confronted with an unapologetically
tonal, dare I say academically conventional
sound-world, one refers to the booklet
notes to read the composer’s own description
of his musical evolution: ‘Before 1921,
my works were rooted in traditional
influences (Bach, Schubert, Wolf). The
confrontation with Impressionism and
the Second Viennese School and my encounter
with Hindemith broadened my means of
expression ... and enabled me to go
my own way.’
The results make this
something of a conundrum, and one I
initially had problems attempting to
assess. Here we have a composer, working
through the most turbulent parts of
the 20th century, apparently
unaffected by, untroubled by, or isolated
from the effects of fascism and war,
writing songs which inhabit the worlds
of Schubert and Wolf. Adjusting my expectations
I dipped into the instrumental works
which, while superficially giving the
impression of learned and studious effort,
hold the key.
Kuhn studied at the
Zurich Conservatoire, at a time in which
the influence of Ferruccio Busoni was
all pervasive. Having received his grounding
in counterpoint, conducting and composition
from a circle of Busoni’s pupils and
friends, he reinforced and deepened
this disciplined education in Vienna,
finally becoming an organist and choral
director back in Küsnacht. He later
taught piano and music theory at the
Zurich Music Academy. Unsurprising then,
that such a figure’s approach to song
writing should be in some way a homage
to some of the greatest lyricists who
ever lived, and whose chamber music
should be studded with neo-baroque or
neo-classical movements, given added
colour from the palettes of Busoni and
Scriabin. This is however not to dismiss
the work on this disc as derivatively
worthless.
The Introduktion
und Allegro for oboe and piano is
a tautly argued dialogue between the
two instruments. Kuhn likes free lyrical
lines over closer intervals in rising
or descending figures in the accompaniment,
and employs such devices to create logical
and effective development and structure.
Turning to the other instrumental works,
the Suite for Oboe solo is quite
technically demanding, with contrapuntal
variations which reminded me of the
Telemann flute Fantasias or even
William Alwyn’s Divertimento.
The Three Preludes for piano
are quite searching, probing works.
The first Con anima has the kind
of ostinato which Simeon ten Holt might
have used to fill three CDs rather than
a two minute movement. The second Adagio
descends relentlessly into a gloomy
place, from which we are plucked by
a sprightly Allegro. With these
pieces, I can only say I began to warm
to Kuhn’s honest and expressive musical
language. The Three Piano Pieces
further contrapuntally explore a
limited collection of notes, and while
working these out in a slow-fast-slow
sequence Kuhn brings us close to Busoni’s
late piano works, at the same time not
quite achieving quite the intensity
of (for instance) Shostakovich’s 24
preludes and fugues.
The songs, listened
to properly, are gems – portraying the
texts in completely sympathetic accompaniments,
resourceful and effective in their reflection
of light and shade. In extending the
tradition of Wolf, Schubert and Mahler,
Kuhn provides respectful vehicles for
these texts in a romantic ‘Lied’ style
with both expressive elegance and technical
flair. There is no difficult confrontation
or interpretative challenge here, and
if time seems to have stood still, then
at least it hasn’t lost in quality what
it has lost by steadfastly refusing
to advance.
These recordings are
excellent in quality, and the performances,
if not entirely flawless, are persuasive
and creditable. As an issue this is
certainly something ‘different’, even
if I can’t find myself able to call
it ‘new’; in the sense of it adding
hugely to the sum of musical greats.
If you are looking for well crafted,
often beautifully expressive tonal music
from the last century then you need
look no further. If you seek the thrills
and roller-coaster rides of the tumultuous
and revolutionary, this is unlikely
to float your boat.
Dominy Clements
John Anderson (oboe) 
