Mozart - Flute Quartet in D major
Mozart - Flute Quartet in A major
Beethoven - Serenade in D
Beethoven - Variations on "La ci darem la mano"
Bach - Air from Orchestral Suite No. 3

Now why didn't I think of that ... When I played flute in the high school band many, many years ago, I was of the opinion that this was an awkward and uncomfortable instrument to hold, especially for extended periods of time. But I never pondered the problem long enough to come up with a better solution. Well it seems that Sanford Drelinger did and came up with a revolutionary headjoint called the UpRite, which easily attaches to any flute, and not only allows for a more ergonomically comfortable position for the musician, but also projects the sound front and center rather than sideways. It seems that many inventors with different ideas had a go at this over the years, but it looks like the UpRite is the only design, by its shape and size, that does not alter the acoustics of the flute. It sounds great.

And all novelty aside, Aralee Dorough plays this "modified" flute with the same highly polished musicianship she would any standard instrument, and is backed by a chamber ensemble formed by members of the Houston Symphony. The selection of works on this CD also emphasize and spotlight the beautiful tone produced by this flute. In this recording, Aralee Dorough plays a Powell flute combined with an UpRite 4 Max headjoint. This should be of great interest to flutists in particular, looking to finally be able to give their neck and arms a break, without doctoring their sound.

Jean-Yves Duperron - May 2016