Classical Cowgirl Ropes 'em In
CLASSICAL COWGIRL ROPES ‘EM IN
Violinist Destiny Ann Mermagen Gives a Rodeo of a Recital
by Paul Pattison
special to KC Arts Beat
To begin its 2019-2020 season, the music ministry of Village Presbyterian Church presented a most unusual concert featuring a rising young violin virtuoso. In homage to her rural background, Destiny Ann Mermagen bills herself as the “Classical Cowgirl.” After hearing her perform, I can say she’s the real McCoy
It was an evening of Americana devoted mostly to "Bouquet Américain" by Belgian composer and violin virtuoso Henri Vieuxtemps (1820-1881). During a tour of the United States in 1855, Vieuxtemps wrote these six tiny masterpieces as a gift to America. Employing well-known Irish and American folk tunes for thematic material, they’re also displays of exceptional skill and dexterity while remaining folksy in nature. After considerable research, Destiny Ann was able to compile these and make the first complete recording along with pianist Heather Lauffer Adelsberger. The recording has been nominated for a Grammy.
“Bouquet Américain" was interspersed with other music. Three of the “Bouquet,” "Garry Owen," O Willie We Have Missed You" and St. Patrick's Day" were first. They were delightful. Amazingly, these 19th century tunes were still familiar to the audience and Vieuxtemp’s classical treatment actually augmented their folksy nature. Some were characterized by humor while others had a sense of nostalgia and longing.
Throughout the phenomenally difficult moments, the rhythms and tunes of the folk melodies were clearly recognizable. An extended solo cadenza in "O Willie" created a moment of humor. While sitting idly on the piano bench, Heather's head slowly nodded until it rested on the keyboard while Destiny Ann merrily fiddled away. This provoked a hearty chuckle from the audience of 150.
Destiny Ann is the founder of "The Village Players," an organization based at Village Presbyterian dedicated to enriching the lives of children through music. One of her violin students, eleven-year-old Evelyn Homes, came on stage to play two songs. First was "Go Tell Aunt Rhody" with Destiny Ann using pizzicato accompaniment, followed by "Swallowtail Jig," a traditional folk song. Evelyn played these with more poise and competence than much more seasoned players.
Vieuxtemps' "Days of Absence” from the “Bouquet” followed. This prodigiously difficult work was a real show-stopper. The bright acoustics of Village Presbyterian tended to blur some of the rapid runs from where I was sitting in the rear, but the overall effect was still electric. In the final few moments of the selection, The young Evelyn returned to the stage to briefly perform a charming interpretative dance, ending by giving Destiny Ann a big hug.
After intermission, Destiny Ann wowed the audience with a compelling, emotional and deeply moving performance of the "Ciaconna" from "Partita No. 2 in D Minor" by Bach. I cannot hear this work too often or by too many different performers. The theme itself brings a tear of quiet joy to my eye. Destiny Ann played this with an astonishing depth of emotion. Her superb attention to phrasing, the gradual accelerations and decelerations, diminuendos and crescendos created a palpable tension followed by glorious release. For me, this is a pinnacle of the violin repertoire and I’m always grateful for a thoughtful reading.
The evening’s finale featured two more of the Vieuxtemps' "Bouquet" pieces, “The Last Rose of Summer" and "Arkansas Traveller." Previously, the piano accompaniment was fairly subdued, providing harmony and thematic material, but in these two works, piano and violin engaged in real dialog, if not a duel. "Arkansas Traveller" was especially fun. The pianist dramatically turned pages as though caught up in some life or death event. The audience laughed at their antics and applauded their performance.
But the evening was not yet over. Destiny Ann and Heather returned to perform an encore that started off as a solo violin piece by Bach. Suddenly both musicians launched into Vieuxtemps' Souvenir d’Amerique, basically “Variations on Yankee Doodle Dandy." It brought the concert to a frolicking conclusion and the audience left the sanctuary with smiles and chuckles.
