CD Review – Daniel Carr: Works for Flute and Piano, Volume 2
August 7, 2016 (No Comments) by Peter Westbrook

Daniel-Carr-Works-Vol-2Aside from a few undergraduate theory and counterpoint classes, Daniel Carr, whose compositions are featured on this recording, never had any formal compositional training. With a degree in finance, Carr works as an IT professional and writes music recreationally, in the evening and on weekends. In view of this, his recently released album Works: Flute and Piano, Volume 2, representing his entire published output for flute, is all the more impressive.

Perhaps because of his independence from the profession, Carr has arrived at a style grounded in the 21st century yet clearly distinct from the avant-garde. He decidedly rejects what was once a modernist staple, folding himself firmly in the arms of tonality and the realm of melody. He has described his writing as “pop-influenced,” and his references to artists such as Radiohead and Sarah Kirkland Snider suggest a fusion of classical forms and alternative/indie popular music.

        Daniel Carr

Daniel Carr

The standout piece on this album is the full-scale Sonata for Flute and Piano, Op. 6, a substantive—if slightly edgy—work of intensity and power that employs extended techniques such as flutter-tonguing, spit tones, pitch bends, and multiphonics. Most of these are found in the second movement, which is generally more complex—tonally, technically, and emotionally—than the other three.

Listening to his shorter, more programmatic character pieces reveals Carr’s love for song, particularly in the piece Song, which was originally written for piano solo and only later rewritten for flute, voice, and piano. The haunting vocal melisma, used sparingly near the end of the piece, left me craving more. The other character pieces on the album—Foliage, Still, and Wedding Song—as well as the slow selections of his multi-movement works, Sonatina for Yumi, Sonata for Flute and Piano, and Three Nocturnes for Flute and Piano, achieve a similar effect: beautiful flute melodies floating over an undulating bed of suggestive, often pentatonic harmonies.

    Francois Minaux

Francois Minaux

The flutist on the album, Carr’s brother-in-law François Minaux, in collaboration with pianist Mayumi Tayake, does a superb job with these pieces. His pure tone and command of less traditional flute techniques allow him to make music with even the simplest of melodies. On occasion, a less refined note in the third or fourth octave reveals itself, but these are foibles of the work and quickly forgotten in lieu of Minaux’s exquisite tonal control in piano dynamics.

This album is the second released by Carr. The more he pushes the envelope of traditional tonality and rhythmic stability, the more captivating his music becomes. His future projects aim to explore other instrumental combinations. With what we’ve seen in his writing for the flute, however, we must hope this is not the last time the flute community hears from composer Daniel Carr.

See: https://danielcarrcomposer.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Daniel-Carr-Composer-557170571015487/

http://www.francoisminaux.com/

   Jennifer Slaughter

Jennifer Slaughter

 

Review by Jennifer Slaughter. Jennifer was a graduate student of Nicole Molumby at Boise State University. She now performs and teaches in Boise, Denver and elsewhere and is a member of the Spokane Symphony Orchestra. Her review also appeared in Flutist Quarterly and is used by permission.

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