Share Album:
The Unfolding Flute
Carl Vollrath composer
Dieter Flury flute
Ieva Oša piano
Composer Carl Vollrath returns to Navona Records with THE UNFOLDING FLUTE, a collection of contemporary chamber works showcasing his years of experience writing for flute. Vollrath unfolds his talents piece by piece through the performances of acclaimed flutist Dieter Flury and pianist Ieva Osa.
THE UNFOLDING FLUTE covers a wide span of Vollrath’s composing career. The album begins with a piece written during his time as a student in the mid-20th Century. This Concert Piece for flute and piano was written when Vollrath was delving into the relationship of thirds with guidance from his educator, Dr. John Boda. The piece ebbs and flows in energy, from soft to heightened and back again. The Glass of Absinthe, written later on in Vollrath’s teaching career, was inspired by Edgar Degas’s Impressionist painting of the same name. The melancholic opening reflects the colors and strokes that make up Degas’s French cafe and pale female subject with her drink. The piece unfolds through moments of agile, almost frantically rapid successions of notes before descending back into quiet reflection.
Sonata for Piano and Flute, written in three movements in fast-slow-fast order, was written to display the skills of its performer, and Flury’s dynamic performances are up to the task. THE UNFOLDING FLUTE concludes with Absolution, a fitting wrap to the album which the composer himself describes best: “Absolution is about our growing old and coming to the conclusion that all there is left is forgiveness.”
THE UNFOLDING FLUTE is a triumph spanning decades, truly reflecting how Vollrath’s compositional abilities, though notable from the start, have developed over the years. Enjoy this timeline of a great contemporary composer in his element.
Listen
Stream/Buy
Choose your platform
Performance Video
Carl Vollrath - The Glass of Absinthe | Dieter Flury, flute; Ieva Oša, piano
Track Listing & Credits
| # | Title | Composer | Performer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Concert Piece | Carl Vollrath | Dieter Flury, flute; Ieva Oša, piano | 9:02 |
| 02 | The Glass of Absinthe | Carl Vollrath | Dieter Flury, flute; Ieva Oša, piano | 8:51 |
| 03 | Flute Sonata No. 1: I. | Carl Vollrath | Dieter Flury, flute; Ieva Oša, piano | 5:29 |
| 04 | Flute Sonata No. 1: II. | Carl Vollrath | Dieter Flury, flute; Ieva Oša, piano | 7:28 |
| 05 | Flute Sonata No. 1: III. | Carl Vollrath | Dieter Flury, flute; Ieva Oša, piano | 5:34 |
| 06 | Absolution | Carl Vollrath | Dieter Flury, flute; Ieva Oša, piano | 8:17 |
Recorded December 20-22, 2019 at Blagoje Bersa Concert Hall, Zagreb, Croatia
Krešimir Seletković Session Producer, Addtl Editing
Filip Vidović Session Engineer
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Dr. Heather Small, Troy University flute professor for the incentive in the creation of the Flute Sonata
Lili Mai for technical service at the recording session
Executive Producer Bob Lord
Executive A&R Sam Renshaw
A&R Director Brandon MacNeil
VP, Audio Production Jeff LeRoy
Recording Sessions Director Levi Brown
International Recording Sessions Manager Jan Košulič
Audio Director, Editing, Mixing & Mastering Lucas Paquette
VP, Design & Marketing Brett Picknell
Art Director Ryan Harrison
Design Edward A. Fleming
Publicity Patrick Niland, Sara Warner
Artist Information
Carl Vollrath
Born in New York City to German parents, Carl Vollrath attended Newton High School. He received a B.A. from Stetson University, an M.A. from Columbia University, and an Ed.D. from Florida State University. Vollrath studied composition with Ernst von Dohnanyi Carlisle Floyd, and John Boda. He served with the West Point Military Band at West Point NY from 1953 to 1956 and was a music consultant in Miami FL from 1956 to 1958. He joined the Troy University (AL) faculty in 1965.Major works include six symphonies for band, an opera – The Quest – and a large collection of chamber music, all published by Tap Music (tapmusic.com). MMC Recordings has released three albums of Vollrath’s works, including a two-disc album of clarinet works recorded by Richard Stoltzman entitled Jack’s Fat Cat (2008).
Dieter Flury
Dieter Flury was born and brought up in Zurich (Switzerland) and studied with Hans Meyer (Principal Flute of the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich), André Jaunet (at the Zurich Music Academy), and Aurèle Nicolet. In addition to his flute studies he graduated in mathematics at the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. At age 25 he was appointed a member of the Vienna State Opera Orchestra and in 1981 he was named Principal Flute of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.
Notes
The Concert Piece for flute and piano was written over 50 years ago when, as a student, I first studied with Dr. John Boda and started to discover the relationships of thirds. Some of the materials are similar to the opera The Quest which came during that period.
The next piece is an attempt to capture the mood of the painting by Edgar Degas, "The Glass of Absinthe." It was written sometime in the early 21st Century for a student who showed promise as a performer but for some unknown reason never performed it, although she expressed interest in playing it.
The professor of flute at Troy University inspired the Sonata for Flute and Piano which is in three movements: fast, slow, fast. It was written to be performed by a professional, to display their skills. The last piece, Absolution, is about our growing old and coming to the conclusion that all there is left is forgiveness.
— Carl Vollrath
