by Ian Zook

Volume 13—Christopher Leuba

Horn on Record is all about preserving the intersection of influential hornists and long-lost recordings and repertoire. It is thrilling then to present Christopher Leuba’s 1974 recording of Bernhard Heiden’s Quintet for Horn and String Quartet performed with the Philadelphia String Quartet.

Christopher Leuba (1929-2019) was born in Pittsburgh USA and studied at Carnegie Mellon University. He joined the Pittsburgh Symphony as 4th Horn at age seventeen, and soon after served in the US Army Band with stations at West Point and the English Midlands. While in England, Leuba studied with Aubrey Brain, and upon returning to the United States moved to Chicago and studied with Philip Farkas. Leuba was appointed principal horn of the Minneapolis Symphony from 1954-1960, and again from 1963-1967. During the 1960-1962 seasons, he succeeded his mentor Farkas as principal horn of the Chicago Symphony.

Leuba taught at the University of Washington from 1968-1979 and spent many summers on the faculties of the Aspen and Chautauqua Music Festivals. His performance career continued with positions in the Seattle and Portland Operas, and the Philharmonica Hungarica conducted by Antal Doráti. His pedagogical legacy is reflected in his many publications, including Rules of the Game, A Study of Musical Intonation, Phrasing Concepts, and Dexterity Drills. A compendium of many of these materials is available through Faust Music, and you can also listen to extensive interviews with Christopher Leuba, recorded in 2011 by Howard Sanner, about his professional career and musical experiences.

Christopher Leuba’s 1974 recording of Bernhard Heiden’s Quintet is the first commercial recording, predating another interpretation from hornist Mason Jones and the Philarte Quartet produced in 1980. While many hornists are familiar with Bernhard Heiden’s Horn Sonata (1939), his Quintet for Horn and Strings is much neglected in current performance. Heiden, a pupil of Paul Hindemith at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin, spent nearly thirty years on the composition faculty of Indiana University. Much like Hindemith, Bernhard Heiden’s music is highly structed and polyphonic, with rigorous manipulation of thematic and motivic material.

Composed in 1952, Heiden’s Quintet for Horn and Strings is dedicated to John Barrows and has four movements with a total duration under twenty minutes.

The first movement has a lilting compound-meter melody, propelled at times by churning sixteenth-note ostinato patterns. In this example, notice how Leuba energetically articulates the ostinato rhythm before weaving the melodic motive through the string texture:

Heiden, mvt. 1:

The vivace second movement pairs muted strings with stopped horn, creating a wispy dervish of sound. When the instruments un-mute, a marching bassline in the cello is cleverly brightened with syncopated interjections which displace the overall sense of cadential arrival:

Heiden, mvt. 2:

The gorgeous Andantino allows the impassioned musicality of the performers to draw upon their rich palette of colors. Leuba’s very subtle use of vibrato accentuates the dolce connection of the horn’s melodic phrase:

Heiden, mvt. 3:

The Quintet closes with a folk-tune inspired melody reminiscent of Bartók. Leuba’s quite firm and powerful sound is present here, efficiently channeled into the precise and nimble double-tongued articulations:

Heiden, mvt. 4:

I hope that this marvelous recording and the featured musical contributions of Christopher Leuba will prompt more performances of Heiden’s Quintet for Horn and String Quartet to be programmed.

by Jonathan Luxton, 2022 Punto Award Recipient

I have just returned to Portugal after having been in Ireland for the last 4.5 years. Prior to this, I was first horn in the Gulbenkian Symphony Orchestra, a job I held for 30 years. I moved to Portugal in 1984 from England and delighted in having a permanent job, enjoying the sights, smells, sounds, and warm weather of this beautiful country. As a 24-year-old, I was relieved to have a reliable source of income after the insecurity of freelancing prior to that.

I began life in rural Dorset in Southwest England, surrounded by dairy farms and attending a school of only 30 pupils. When I started with music at the age of 8, I could never have dreamed that I would end up working for an international orchestra and teaching at universities in Portugal. My journey started with my supportive parents who took me to every horn lesson without fail, and encouraged me to play in all the local orchestras. Access to professional music was rare in rural settings, and I was lucky that 30 miles away, we had two wonderful professional orchestras, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Bournemouth Sinfonietta. I had the good fortune of studying with teachers from both orchestras, Richard Thomas and Peter Kane, both of whom influenced me greatly, and managed to encourage someone who was unpolished and had very little musical education to develop the skill and confidence needed to win an audition at the Royal Academy of Music in London (RAM).

I was 18 when I started at the RAM studying with James Brown. I spent a lot of time teaching and working odd random jobs—waiter, removal company laborer, van driver, gardener, barman, etc. I would do practically anything available to make ends meet.

During my last year at the RAM, I was part of the European Youth Orchestra where I was fortunate to be tutored by two of the USA’s most renowned teachers, Myron Bloom and Dale Clevenger, both of whom really broadened my awareness of what is beyond the European style of playing.

When I think back to the incredible tutors I had in my formative years as a young musician, I remember one teacher in particular who influenced my playing enormously. When I was 22, I had finished at the RAM and had done trials with City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Opera North, and the Royal Ballet, but I had still not landed a job. I went for a lesson with Jeff Bryant as I had heard excellent things about him and felt that I needed to get someone else’s perspective on my playing. Jeff changed my method of practice and made me realize that I had rarely practiced the parts of my technique that I had difficulty with. I am sure other teachers had told me the same, and to some it might sound completely obvious. But I don’t think I had the maturity at the time to take in the message. However, this time, the message went in loud and clear. It is certainly easier and more pleasurable to practice the things we are good at it. It was a real eye-opener for me and changed my approach to playing and teaching.

The Gulbenkian in Portugal was an incredible orchestra of which to be part. As a result of private funding, we had the opportunity to perform with some of the most renowned soloists such as Itzhak Perlman, Nigel Kennedy, and Daniel Barenboim, among others. In addition, I was surprised to be given the chance to perform concertos with the orchestra, an opportunity that in my experience was rarely awarded to in-house players. One performance that really stayed with me was playing the Penderecki Horn Concerto Winterreise, with the composer conducting. It was an amazing and humbling experience.

The orchestra toured Japan, India, China, Thailand, the USA, and all over Europe. With them, I saw the world, and I developed my career further as a teacher, leading masterclasses in Brazil, China, Spain, and Portugal.

I left the Gulbenkian in 2014, and for four years did not touch the horn, due in part to burnout. When I moved to Ireland in 2019, I was encouraged to start playing again by my wife who could see how much I missed it. I subsequently contacted Cormac O’hAodáin from the RTE Concert Orchestra. I realized when I went into rehearsal, chatted with other musicians, performed, and did recordings with them, that I really had missed being in a musical environment. In order to be more proactive in music and work on furthering awareness within schools and through musical projects, I joined the IHS. In 2022, I was humbled to receive the Punto Award in recognition of contribution to the art of horn playing.

For the last three years of my time in Ireland, I continued to play with the RTE and had the opportunity to freelance with the Ulster Orchestra in Belfast and other groups throughout Ireland. I was invited to be the horn tutor for two summer courses with the Ulster Youth Orchestra, a tremendously uplifting and inspiring time of music-making with some wonderful young musicians.

I never reached the playing levels that I had before retirement, but I loved being back in an orchestra and teaching again. A particular highlight was performing the Schumann Konzertstück, this time playing second part. I owe a debt of gratitude to Cormac O’hAodáin and Paul Klein for inviting and welcoming me into their horn sections.

I think it took the 4-year pause for me to realize how much music is part of me and my identity. This is why an organization like the IHS is so important to me, a supportive network of like-minded individuals who are passionate about this wonderful instrument. For the future, I am very much looking forward to attending upcoming IHS events and being active again in the horn world in Portugal.

http://www.jonathanluxtonmusic.com

by Austris Apenis

AA: Welcome Ben! It’s a pleasure to interview you, and there is so much I would like to ask you. You have built quite a portfolio, having performed in many of the worlds famous concert halls with top orchestras as a soloist and chamber musician. Congratulations! Of all the great things you have done, one spoke to me particularly: premiering new pieces for horn. I personally find that very important for our community and the future generations. How did you convince so many composers to write for you?

BG: Thank you for showing such an interest! My biggest passion is to contribute to the development of the repertoire, and so working with the composers of today is something that I both spend a lot of time doing but also greatly enjoy. To convince them, however, is a very personal thing! A few of my closest collaborations, for example with Mark Simpson and Huw Watkins, came about because I also perform with them on their respective instruments. This, of course, gives you a very deep musical relationship, and they really know you’re playing from the inside out. In other cases, I simply write to composers and express my admiration for their music. It’s not always a straight “yes,” but I can be persuasive! It also helps if you have the possibility to program the work—this is very attractive to a lot of composers at a time when getting performances is becoming increasingly difficult.

Some of these pieces you are performing on natural horn. Are there particular challenges in performing new works on the natural horn?

Again, it really depends. The latest work that I commissioned for the natural horn requires the horn to be tuned to a quarter tone higher than D. So, making sure that this can work with the intonation of the midi keyboard (which is fixed) and then also jumping back to equal temperament for the rest of the program is a challenge for the ears. In terms of horn playing, the challenges are, frankly, easier than having to travel with more than one instrument!

I can relate to that! How would it compare to performing new commissions on the modern horn?

Well, the material is obviously less complex simply because you don’t have so many options for notes. So, in that respect, my experience has often been less frantic than learning millions of notes on a modern horn when the piece is inevitably delivered later than expected. Composers seem to love the more raucous and brassy sound of the natural horn in comparison to the darker sound of the modern horn. One has to be sensitive to their desires and try and really make a strong difference between the two different instruments.

Do you also play period repertoire on the natural horn?

I don’t, actually. There are wonderful musicians who I admire hugely that can do a much better job than I can. My passion is for that which is new.

Let’s go back to the beginning. How did you choose the horn?

Actually, I started on the cello when I was six years old. At the same time, however, I was diagnosed with a lung condition called bronchiectasis which, to cut a long story short, meant that my lung function was only 50%. The doctors knew that I loved music and suggested that I should take up a wind instrument to help strengthen my lungs. My parents are professional string players, and they loved the sound of the horn…they chose it for me!

It is amazing that you can play like you do even with your condition! Has playing the horn helped a lot with your lung capacity?

In combination with lots of sport, I think it definitely has. Aside from anything else, it made me much more conscious of the need to make sure that my cardiovascular health was in the best possible condition.

You mentioned that your parents are professional string players. As a musician who doesn’t come from a musician’s family, I am always curious how it is to grow up in one. How was your dynamic at home with your parents concerning practicing? Did you learn a lot from them?

Actually, they never pushed me to practice! I think that’s maybe one of the things I’m most grateful for; they let the desire come naturally from myself over time. I had the best possible education from them in that I went to countless concerts throughout my childhood.

You were the finalist in the BBC Young Musician concert in 2016. How was the experience performing there?

This was a life changing experience! Not only was it exhilarating to be part of the process—which is nine months long—it really acted as a catalyst to help move my career along. It’s also where I got a taste for contemporary music. In the Brass Final, I performed Salonen’s Concert Etude and was really pleased that people enjoyed hearing what the horn can do.

Amazing! It is a fantastic piece! Wasn’t it a bit intense to perform in front of so many cameras?

At the time, it was all so new that you didn’t really have so much time to think about these things. In hindsight, I think I was much cooler than I might have been had I done it a few years later. At that age and in such conditions, you don’t have anything to prove or lose—I really just tried to focus on the music.

You have also studied at the Barenboim-Said academy with Radek Baborák. How is he as a teacher? What did you learn while studying with him?

Radek is my horn idol! To study with him was a dream. He really stressed the importance of putting musical wishes at the forefront of what we do. So often, we get so bogged down with questions of technique, and actually, if we focus on musical objectives, a lot can be fixed by itself.

Interesting! Why do you think that happens?

Well, I think the embouchure is so personal and sensitive that we often immediately jump to the conclusion that it must be wrong if we are unable to achieve something in our playing. What I think is needed is a more fundamental understanding of the function of the embouchure, in other words to realize that providing a few essential things are in place, it really is just the steering wheel of the car. So much can be achieved with a relaxed breathing technique and the true intention in musical terms. It is not taught enough to really commit to one’s playing with all of our energy and a strong air stream; we are always too worried about cracking notes!

Those are wise words! If you think about it, we play a wind instrument. Air is the basis of everything. Thank you for sharing your story! It was great to have you with us for Horn and More!

My pleasure, thank you.

Learn more about Ben at https://www.bengoldscheider.com.

Chamber Music Corner—Robert Spittal’s Prelude and Scherzo

by Layne Anspach

Hello musicians!

This month’s Chamber Music Corner features Prelude and Scherzo (1996) by Robert Spittal (b. 1963). Spittal is a composer, conductor, and teacher residing in Spokane, Washington. He is a Professor of Music at Gonzaga University where he teaches conducting and music theory in addition to directing the Wind Symphony and Chamber Wind Ensemble. He also serves as the conductor for the professional brass ensemble, Clarion. Spittal received his DMA in conducting from Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, his MM from Baylor University, and his BME from The Ohio State University. His compositions range from band and orchestra to many permutations of chamber music to musical theater. 

Prelude and Scherzo was written for the Mosaic Chamber Ensemble (Spokane, Washington). The instrumentation is for standard wind quintet plus cello and bass. As the title indicates, the work is divided into two movements which are, as the composer indicates in the program notes, “a slow, plaintive prelude followed by a whimsical scherzo…indicative of the structural and stylistic contrasts which exist throughout the piece.”

The opening of the Prelude passes a sixteenth-note motif between the voices, culminating in a unison statement in m. 12. The oboe and cello begin the melodic material at m. 17 where the other members of the ensemble support with slow moving chordal material. The flute takes over the melody leading into a cadence played by all members. The ensemble continues the plaintive mood, building to a more articulate section in mm. 41-43 which are followed by a quasi-cadenza from flute and cello. The final few measures harken back to the section at m. 17 which then leads attacca to the Scherzo.

The Scherzo begins with string pizzicato followed by the quintet cascading in new, lighter material. The opening section starts and stops as the strings interrupt with the pizzicato material, and the movement finally moves on after the third interruption. The strings continue with eighth-note pizzicato building with wind support until the flute introduces a new melody in m. 42. The clarinet assumes the melody with all players adding to the jovial mood. The section continues in a similar fashion between the winds but moves through several tonal centers which adds a new dimension. The mood switches again with a supportive 3-note rhythmic motif passed between clarinet and horn followed by syncopated repetition among the upper winds. This section culminates with the motif passing through each voice. The movement slows to Meno mosso then to Adagio to conclude in a serious-yet-bright mood, contrasting the whimsical nature of the rest of the Scherzo.