Gordon Carr – Puppet Ballet (Piano)

This charming four movement work, that aptly sounds like the title, is heavily influenced by twentieth century masters. The first movement dances between key signatures, creating the feeling of puppets not altogether in control of their faculties, while the second movement is unashamedly intense in character. The third movement includes some very nice jazz-like voicing at the beginning of the movement, with Carr using all the piano registers to add depth and colour. The Latin flavour of the final movement is a total departure from the previous three movements, bringing the ear back to the ballet again, this time in a fiery dance. The asymmetrical rhythms, shifting time signatures and registers, and the once-again intense chromatics jar us back to the herky-jerky puppets as they summon their ersatz dance skills. For the advanced intermediate performer as well as seasoned professionals.

Review: “What a delight it was to listen to the Puppet Ballet by Gordon Carr. This wonderful piano piece has the ‘devil in the details’. With work and patience it is by no means inaccessible to a variety of ages and skill levels. I heartily recommend this piece to teachers and students alike. I believe students should be exposed to more twentieth-century style piano pieces such as this. The work is very accessible to the young pianist. It is my hope that Carr’s piece will heighten the young performers’ interest in exploring works by all the great composers of the genre.” – Paul Scimonelli in American Music Teacher, December 2002

Biography

Carr, Gordon

Gordon Carr was born in Matlock, Derbyshire in 1943 and educated at Dulwich College and the Royal Academy of Music where he studied the horn with Barry Tuckwell. He has enjoyed a varied freelance career, which encompassed playing with all the major London orchestras. As a session musician he played on the soundtrack of numerous films including 'The Boys from Brazil', 'The Spy who Loved Me' and 'Straw Dogs' and on the backing tracks of much pop music. As a soloist he appeared at the Wigmore Hall, on the South Bank and around the UK, Italy and Belgium. In his twenties he began to write music, and wrote several large scale works for the Locke Brass Consort whilst a member of this group. In all he has written in excess of 130 works. For thirty years he taught at The Centre for Young Musicians and throughout his career has coached and conducted on holiday music courses. Conducting engagements have been with The Locke Brass Consort, London Brass Consort, London Youth Symphonic Band, London Youth Chamber Orchestra, Royal Academy of Music Brass Ensemble, London College of Music Symphonic Band and the International Summer School Orchestra at Keele.