He was well-known as a teacher of keyboard and singing, and he served as organist and choirmaster at St. Augustine's Catholic Church (1801–31) and at St. Peter's Episcopal Church (1816–31). In 1820, he was one of the principal founders of the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia, and he is known as the "Father of Philadelphia Music." Mrs. French, who had achieved a degree of fame as a singer, was one of his students.
Carr's best known orchestral work was the Federal Overture (1794), composed for theatrical audiences. He published many of his own art songs, and was perhaps the first American composer to set a Shakespeare text to music, and his setting of Scott's Hymn to the Virgin (1810) is generally considered one of the finest early American songs.
His piano music includes shorter sonatas, rondos and variation forms; much of it was written for pedagogical purposes, although a few works are more technically advanced. He also wrote several important pedagogical works, including the Lessons and Exercises in Vocal Music (c.1811) and The Analytical Instructor for the Piano Forte (1826).
He was well-known as a teacher of keyboard and singing, and he served as organist and choirmaster at St. Augustine's Catholic Church (1801–31) and at St. Peter's Episcopal Church (1816–31). In 1820, he was one of the principal founders of the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia, and he is known as the "Father of Philadelphia Music." Mrs. French, who had achieved a degree of fame as a singer, was one of his students.
Carr's best known orchestral work was the Federal Overture (1794), composed for theatrical audiences. He published many of his own art songs, and was perhaps the first American composer to set a Shakespeare text to music, and his setting of Scott's Hymn to the Virgin (1810) is generally considered one of the finest early American songs.
His piano music includes shorter sonatas, rondos and variation forms; much of it was written for pedagogical purposes, although a few works are more technically advanced. He also wrote several important pedagogical works, including the Lessons and Exercises in Vocal Music (c.1811) and The Analytical Instructor for the Piano Forte (1826).
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