Morton Feldman (1926-1987)

[T. D.]

I have the Another Timbre recording. Really beautiful performances all. It's a 2CD set.

Thanks. Another senior moment (recently turned 64), you reminded me that I have the 2-disc set! It's the 4-CD Another Timbre set that I passed on.
Will play the 2-CD Two Pianos and Other Pieces this evening.

[vers la flamme]

Thanks. Another senior moment (recently turned 64), you reminded me that I have the 2-disc set! It's the 4-CD Another Timbre set that I passed on.
Will play the 2-CD Two Pianos and Other Pieces this evening.

64 ain't too bad, you're my dad's age Glad to hear that you have that 2CD, because it's seriously excellent. Maybe my favorite Feldman recordings.

[Mirror Image]

Good points. For S. B. and Neither feature a really dark minatory ostinato texture (strangely reminiscent of Richard Barrett's Vanity) that unsettles me. I recall liner notes to the Barrett saying that he was using the orchestra as a big machine...maybe Feldman did something similar (though from a much different methodological background).
The soloist + orchestra works (I have the Zender twofer recording) don't pose any such problems.

Yes, it seems those soloist and orchestra works are where he truly superb. That Zender set is top-notch, although it doesn't contain Violin and Orchestra and here I think the Widmann recording on ECM is quite fine.

[T. D.]

FWIW, my favorite Feldman recordings probably are

and

These get the most play, at least.

[staxomega]

New recording of Piano and String Quartet from Apartment House coming in at 80 minutes.

I thought the part in bold was interesting (from their cellist)

Anton Lukoszevieze: Piano and String Quartet, one of Feldman's final works, is a seemingly simple work and yet it isn't. As Philip Guston, a great friend of Feldman, wrote 'Frustration is one of the great things in art; satisfaction is nothing.'
The length of the work (nearly 80 minutes) and the erasure of musical memory (What did we just hear?) is in fact its identity. Feldman makes simple statements, a piano arpeggio or a sustained string chord, holds these things and examines them over time. Gradually, as the sun's light moves across a still life through the day, like a drawn out Morandi painting, the work evolves and indeed dissolves in some sense.
Using different transformative processes, Feldman illuminates his basic material and achieves the miraculous, an extended work of great beauty and enigmatic wonder. There are ghosts there, tinctures of late Schubert, Brahms and even Janaček, where beauty is a signature of passing time and an ephemeral focus on hearing and disappearing.

https://www.youtube.com/v/vH6YzBIjUAY

[vers la flamme]

New recording of Piano and String Quartet from Apartment House coming in at 80 minutes.

I thought the part in bold was interesting (from their cellist)

Anton Lukoszevieze: Piano and String Quartet, one of Feldman's final works, is a seemingly simple work and yet it isn't. As Philip Guston, a great friend of Feldman, wrote 'Frustration is one of the great things in art; satisfaction is nothing.'
The length of the work (nearly 80 minutes) and the erasure of musical memory (What did we just hear?) is in fact its identity. Feldman makes simple statements, a piano arpeggio or a sustained string chord, holds these things and examines them over time. Gradually, as the sun's light moves across a still life through the day, like a drawn out Morandi painting, the work evolves and indeed dissolves in some sense.
Using different transformative processes, Feldman illuminates his basic material and achieves the miraculous, an extended work of great beauty and enigmatic wonder. There are ghosts there, tinctures of late Schubert, Brahms and even Janaček, where beauty is a signature of passing time and an ephemeral focus on hearing and disappearing.

https://www.youtube.com/v/vH6YzBIjUAY

Looks like a must-cop. Is the CD out yet?

[T. D.]

Looks like a must-cop. Is the CD out yet?

http://www.anothertimbre.com/

Apparently. One of five November releases which can be "added to cart", so presumably in stock.

[vers la flamme]

http://www.anothertimbre.com/

Apparently. One of five November releases which can be "added to cart", so presumably in stock.

Ordered it. Thanks.

[Mandryka]

Ordered it. Thanks.

Let me know how it is. I haven't been as excited by his later works for larger ensemble like this as much as the duos. I haven't ever got into piano and string quartet for example, not so far.

The main reason I came to this thread was to say that I think this is certainly worth hearing if you can get it, for at least one thing: Andreas Kunz! He is an exceptional musician.



And as with all this series that I've heard, the sound is good, and that counts for quite a lot in this music.

[T. D.]

New recording of Piano and String Quartet from Apartment House coming in at 80 minutes.

I thought the part in bold was interesting (from their cellist)

Anton Lukoszevieze: Piano and String Quartet, one of Feldman's final works, is a seemingly simple work and yet it isn't. As Philip Guston, a great friend of Feldman, wrote 'Frustration is one of the great things in art; satisfaction is nothing.'
The length of the work (nearly 80 minutes) and the erasure of musical memory (What did we just hear?) is in fact its identity. Feldman makes simple statements, a piano arpeggio or a sustained string chord, holds these things and examines them over time. Gradually, as the sun's light moves across a still life through the day, like a drawn out Morandi painting, the work evolves and indeed dissolves in some sense.
Using different transformative processes, Feldman illuminates his basic material and achieves the miraculous, an extended work of great beauty and enigmatic wonder. There are ghosts there, tinctures of late Schubert, Brahms and even Janaček, where beauty is a signature of passing time and an ephemeral focus on hearing and disappearing.

https://www.youtube.com/v/vH6YzBIjUAY

Wow, I like this!
Feldman's compositions for strings alone tend to wear on me, but I find the incorporation of piano here really attractive. I love the instrumentation of For Philip Guston, for instance, but it's just too darned long. 
In contrast, Piano Violin Viola Cello (I have the Apartment House recording) tends to unsettle/depress me (like a few other Feldman works) too much for frequent listening.
Seriously considering purchase. There are already several recordings, the 80 minute timing is more or less in the pack; Apartment House's performance seems very strong insofar as I can tell.

BTW, this Youtube performance has Víkingur Ólafsson on piano:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41tt7MXSMYg

[Added 11/12] I'm on Simon's [Another Timbre] e-mail list, was wondering WTF I didn't get notification of the new Feldman...and the November release announcement arrived this morning!

[staxomega]

Wow, I like this!
Feldman's compositions for strings alone tend to wear on me, but I find the incorporation of piano here really attractive. I love the instrumentation of For Philip Guston, for instance, but it's just too darned long. 
In contrast, Piano Violin Viola Cello (I have the Apartment House recording) tends to unsettle/depress me (like a few other Feldman works) too much for frequent listening.
Seriously considering purchase. There are already several recordings, the 80 minute timing is more or less in the pack; Apartment House's performance seems very strong insofar as I can tell.

BTW, this Youtube performance has Víkingur Ólafsson on piano:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41tt7MXSMYg

Two or three other people in the last few pages have said Piano, Violin, Viola and Cello is too depressing or eerie. I love it! Though I do tend to like the smaller works with strings over the solo keyboard and doubly so the larger orchestral works which I rarely play. I might pass on the Apartment House recording; really trying to cut down my music purchases to only ones that are really essential and I have Kronos Quartet/Aki Takahashi which has identical timing and is a superb performance in SOTA sound. I suppose I might cave if I'm able to hear the full Apartment House performance. Also still on the fence about the Apartment House Cage Number Pieces box, if I get that it will be another reason to add Apartment House's recording of this work as they only have one shipping charge for all purchases.

[Added 11/12] I'm on Simon's [Another Timbre] e-mail list, was wondering WTF I didn't get notification of the new Feldman...and the November release announcement arrived this morning!

I got an email notification from the Feldman recording/concerts mailing list before Another Timbre's email. Mailing list: https://www.cnvill.net/mfregist.htm

[Mandryka]

Two or three other people in the last few pages have said Piano, Violin, Viola and Cello is too depressing or eerie. I love it! Though I do tend to like the smaller works with strings over the solo keyboard and doubly so the larger orchestral works which I rarely play. I might pass on the Apartment House recording; really trying to cut down my music purchases to only ones that are really essential and I have Kronos Quartet/Aki Takahashi which has identical timing and is a superb performance in SOTA sound. I suppose I might cave if I'm able to hear the full Apartment House performance. Also still on the fence about the Apartment House Cage Number Pieces box, if I get that it will be another reason to add Apartment House's recording of this work as they only have one shipping charge for all purchases.

I got an email notification from the Feldman recording/concerts mailing list before Another Timbre's email. Mailing list: https://www.cnvill.net/mfregist.htm

I think there's a good rapport between pianist and quartet in Kronos, and I think that's a real important thing in Piano and String Quartet. That being said, it's not a work I've investigated much, it has never grabbed me.

Just lately I've been reminded of how much variety there is not in, but among, these late works. I've been listening to Patterns in a chromatic field.

Anyone like the trio? I don't know I care for it much any more. Too jumpy.

[Artem]

I found Patterns in a chromatic field to be a rather difficult piece to enjoy. Trio on the other hand is more to my liking. I heard in on Mode and NCA and both are good.

[Mandryka]

I found Patterns in a chromatic field to be a rather difficult piece to enjoy. Trio on the other hand is more to my liking. I heard in on Mode and NCA and both are good.

I think what I appreciate most in late Feldman is immersive music, that sense that small almost imperceptible changes can be very beautiful - and the challenge of hearing them very rewarding. The trio is just not like that!


This afternoon I'm listening the the quintessence of immersive Feldman - this, and I must say, I'm very much in the mood for it, though I'm not sure I'll get through more than the first half.

[wind-]

I think what I appreciate most in late Feldman is immersive music, that sense that small almost imperceptible changes can be very beautiful - and the challenge of hearing them very rewarding. The trio is just not like that!


This afternoon I'm listening the the quintessence of immersive Feldman - this, and I must say, I'm very much in the mood for it, though I'm not sure I'll get through more than the first half.

Though one of my favorite Feldman, I don't think I have been able to listen in one sitting in the 10 years since acquiring.
Funnily enough I did listen this morning, half before my walk and half during

[Mandryka]

Though one of my favorite Feldman, I don't think I have been able to listen in one sitting in the 10 years since acquiring.
Funnily enough I did listen this morning, half before my walk and half during

Welcome!

Much to my surprise I got to the end. I must be in a Feldman frame of mind today! It's very good.

[Mandryka]

Two or three other people in the last few pages have said Piano, Violin, Viola and Cello is too depressing or eerie. I love it!

OK, OK, you're selling it to me. I thought I'd give the longest version on record a try, and yes, I am really enjoying it. Too late to get through more than 20 or 30 minutes though.

https://www.discogs.com/release/3287035-Morton-Feldman-Last-Composition-Piano-Violin-Viola-Cello-28-May-1987

Still think it's depressing and eerie though - one of us must be weird, or maybe we both love depressing eerie things.

[staxomega]

OK, OK, you're selling it to me. I thought I'd give the longest version on record a try, and yes, I am really enjoying it. Too late to get through more than 20 or 30 minutes though.

https://www.discogs.com/release/3287035-Morton-Feldman-Last-Composition-Piano-Violin-Viola-Cello-28-May-1987

Still think it's depressing and eerie though - one of us must be weird, or maybe we both love depressing eerie things.

Thanks I just ordered that from the one Discogs seller that will ship to the US. This is the longest version I've seen, I only own the one made with a few of the Apartment House members coming in at 74 minutes. Performance and balances are impeccable on that, Mark Knoop seems to have a great grasp of it plays quite well. I've heard one where either the balances were off or the pianist was playing too loud. I'm also intrigued that Aki Takahashi knew Feldman and this was recorded a couple of months before he died so maybe there is a chance he heard it.

I wrote on the previous page my feelings on the music. To expand I don't think music has ever brought my mood down. This piece paints an image of fog rolling over the lake and one of my favorite Feldman encounters was listening to it on the porch watching the lake very early in the morning. The smaller ensemble string works are also some of my go to music when fishing out on the lake as well.

Pieces like some of Cage's Number Pieces, Rothko Chapel, Coptic Light, etc are intellectually stimulating but ones like Piano, Viola, Violin, Cello (among other late Feldman works) are musically and intellectually satisfying for me.

For me music that is more eerie/scary is one where the tension is high. Penderecki, Ligeti, and likes more often come to mind (there was some discussion of The Exorcist and Shutter Island in the Penderecki thread). Non classical Scott Walker The Drift is a really good one. Also scary good on high end headphones, I nearly fell out of my chair the first time I heard it on Stax, sounds coming from way out to the side of you and behind you. Sunn are another good one though I lost interest in them after Black One. So I don't really see Piano, Viola, Violin, Cello as that eerie either.

I'll have to revisit Trio, when I first heard it I thought it was middle era Feldman, but I was clearly wrong about that. I like Pattersn In a Chromatic Field.

[Mandryka]

I have decided to explore extreme grizzly Feldman. I mean, I am choosing the recorded performances which take the most elapsed time. This is parlty a masochistic whim I think, but also motivated by the thought that the static sections of music, which are my favourite bits, will be special in these extra long interpretations. Today is the turn of this



And so far so good - there are many magic moments -  the cello seems particularly colourful.

[Mandryka]

I have decided to explore extreme grizzly Feldman. I mean, I am choosing the recorded performances which take the most elapsed time. This is parlty a masochistic whim I think, but also motivated by the thought that the static sections of music, which are my favourite bits, will be special in these extra long interpretations. Today is the turn of this



And so far so good - there are many magic moments -  the cello seems particularly colourful.

Recommend this one very enthusiastically, and the music, which has a wonderful ebb and flow.