A wonderful review from Frédéric Cardin at PANM360!
“In her music, Frey achieves a remarkable feat, that of integrating avant-garde expressive elements into an accessible and dramatically appealing framework. There is no purely conceptual cerebrality in her writing, only the desire to tell a story in an original and unique way.”
We’re in this month’s Bandcamp Best of Contemporary Classical as well, for Anaïs Maviel’s Listen to the rain.
“Sometimes a string quartet is merely the vehicle for the work of a composer to be heard. The quartet is an interpreter, yes; but usually the group is not involved in the creation of the music in a granular or personal manner. New York’s The Rhythm Method diverges from this practice in several ways. For one thing, its members are also composers; violist Carrie Frey was featured in last month’s column on an album of her pieces played by her and the ensemble. The situation offers both parties a special connection, fostering greater vulnerability and understanding. The quartet members can all sing, in non-operatic fashion, too. But The Rhythm Method happily draws outside the lines of string quartet orthodoxy…”
Nice review in Dusted Magazine, by Christian Carey!
“Drawing on her experiences as a performer, Frey writes particularly well for strings. ‘LATHE’ has spiderwebs of counterpoint juxtaposed with icy, dissonant verticals. Frey also puts scalar passages and harmonics in intricate interplay. 'A chorus like distant screaming’ culminates with all four members giving full-throated cries. It helps to have such enthusiastic friends, especially when presenting contemporary classical chamber music. 'Gone/Back’ emphasizes double-stops and repeated notes. 'Seaglass/pebble’ contains whirling glissandos that coruscate in waves of sound. The recording…whets the appetite for more music from Frey.”
A great review by Peter Margasak in Bandcamp’s Best Contemporary Classical today!
“Violist Carrie Frey long ago established herself as one of the finest interpreters of contemporary music in New York, both as a solo artist and, since 2020, as a key member of the string quartet the Rhythm Method. In recent years, her abilities as a composer have started to catch up to her reputation as a player, and on this portrait album by the Rhythm Method her development has never been clearer.”
Link to our radio interview with Dave Lake of WRUU Contemporary Classics about my new album Seaglass: Works for String Quartet.
Thanks to AndPlay for recommending Seaglass in this month’s culture club :)