Morton Feldman (1926-1987)

[vers la flamme]

This maybe. But you'll have to use your imagination a bit because that YouTube is with a lute, there are other recorded versions with different accompaniments, including a percussion instrument - a piano.

https://youtube.com/v/Vf2BQtMQNgs

If you can get access to some streaming platform, you may like this

I've got Apple Music, I'll see if that's on there.

As for the other one on Youtube, I'll check it out. I haven't been disappointed yet with Another Timbre. I've been hooked on their Feldman Two Pianos disc.

[Mandryka]

Is there any piece out there that's anything like BC&P?

This is a worthwhile recording I think

[vers la flamme]

This is a worthwhile recording I think

Thanks I was looking at that too. The reason I decided against it is because I would be duplicating all of those works except "Instruments I" which I've never heard, but it is on Qobuz & I think cheap. Anyway it seems like Feldman's music actually does reward varying interpretations, somewhat to my surprise—ever since I got the Hat-Now-Art recording of Why Patterns? & Crippled Symmetry, I've been listening to it and the California EAR Unit recordings that I also have about 50/50 and both show me different facets of the works in question (tho I haven't heard the Hat-Art Crippled Symmetry in full just yet)

Edit: The samples sound great.

[T. D.]

I've previously touted this excellent (oop) collection which includes BCP, some early graphic score material, and quite a few works with percussion:

Physical is scarce/expensive, but maybe it's streamable?
Speaking of New Millennium Ensemble, I really enjoy the obscure I met Heine on the Rue Fuerstenberg, which I heard here (it's been on at least one more recent recording):

Yesterday I listened via youtube to The King of Denmark, a graphic score piece for solo percussion. That's interesting and worth a try.

[Mandryka]

I've previously touted this excellent (oop) collection which includes BCP, some early graphic score material, and quite a few works with percussion:

Physical is scarce/expensive, but maybe it's streamable?

Yes I like it, the thing which New Millenium and Barton do nicely for my taste  is the balance of sound between percussion and clarinet. In both recordings the time is "undisturbed."

By the way, I like King of Denmark - I didn't know it was a graphic score.

[vers la flamme]

It's quite an interesting looking score I think,



Maybe a little simplified from some of his other graph scores.

As for the piece itself, it may be short, but it's one of my favorite Feldman works.

[milk]

Suddenly having trouble locating many choices for Violin and String Quartet.

[Old San Antone]

It's quite an interesting looking score I think,



Maybe a little simplified from some of his other graph scores.

As for the piece itself, it may be short, but it's one of my favorite Feldman works.

Is it always performed by percussion?

https://www.youtube.com/v/kuYk2N9dTns

[Mandryka]

Is it always performed by percussion?

https://www.youtube.com/v/kuYk2N9dTns

https://www.youtube.com/v/5E6nkaVE2tE

[vers la flamme]

https://www.youtube.com/v/5E6nkaVE2tE

How on earth did you find this?

[Artem]

Hearing (on youtube) Aki Takahashi playing Triadic Memories has been a revelation to me in terms of ways to appreciate Morton Feldman's music. Her playing time is 60 minutes. I was introduced to this piece by Steffen Schleiermacher who takes all 80 minutes on the MDG disk. Fascinating.

[Mandryka]

Hearing (on youtube) Aki Takahashi playing Triadic Memories has been a revelation to me in terms of ways to appreciate Morton Feldman's music. Her playing time is 60 minutes. I was introduced to this piece by Steffen Schleiermacher who takes all 80 minutes on the MDG disk. Fascinating.

Here's what the man himself said, in Goodbye to eighth street.

David Tudor: amazing reflexes,
focused on just one mosaic at a time,
a nondirectional approach of equal
intensity and clarity, regardless of what
was being played, an accumulative
effect of time being frozen.

Roger Woodward: more traditional,
which also means more unpredictable in
how he shapes and paces. I would call it
a prose style. Where Tudor focused on
a moment, Woodward would find the
quintessential touch of the work, hold
on to it and then as in one giant breath,
articulate the music's overall scale. Like
Tudor, Woodward played everything as
primary material. He is a long-distance runner. Tudor jumps high over the bar.
Where Tudor isolates the moment, by
not being influenced by what we might
consider a composition's cause and
effect, and Woodward finds the right
tone that savours the moment and
extends it.

Aki Takahashi is very different.
Takahashi appears to be absolutely still.
Undisturbed, unperturbed, as if in a
concentrated prayer. Kafka writes about
approaching his work as if in a state of
prayer....The effect of her playing to me
is that I feel privileged to be invited to a
very religious ritual

[vers la flamme]

Seems like everyone was listening to Feldman during the thick of the shutdowns over the springtime. I know I was listening to his music nonstop. I burned myself out a bit, but I came out of the exercise respecting him as one of the greatest composers of the century.

Anyway I wanted to bump the thread because I'm revisiting his music for the first time since May. I think I like his middle period works the best for now, though from his late period there are some astonishing masterpieces like Crippled Symmetry.

This disc is seriously phenomenal:



I couldn't possibly recommend it highly enough. I just finished Piano Four Hands, what a piece.

Anyone listening to Feldman lately?

[milk]

Seems like everyone was listening to Feldman during the thick of the shutdowns over the springtime. I know I was listening to his music nonstop. I burned myself out a bit, but I came out of the exercise respecting him as one of the greatest composers of the century.

Anyway I wanted to bump the thread because I'm revisiting his music for the first time since May. I think I like his middle period works the best for now, though from his late period there are some astonishing masterpieces like Crippled Symmetry.

This disc is seriously phenomenal:



I couldn't possibly recommend it highly enough. I just finished Piano Four Hands, what a piece.

Anyone listening to Feldman lately?

I've never heard this. I'm going to search it out.
I can't seem to find it streaming on amazon but I found this:

[T. D.]

Seems like everyone was listening to Feldman during the thick of the shutdowns over the springtime. I know I was listening to his music nonstop. I burned myself out a bit, but I came out of the exercise respecting him as one of the greatest composers of the century.

Anyway I wanted to bump the thread because I'm revisiting his music for the first time since May. I think I like his middle period works the best for now, though from his late period there are some astonishing masterpieces like Crippled Symmetry.

This disc is seriously phenomenal:



I couldn't possibly recommend it highly enough. I just finished Piano Four Hands, what a piece.

Anyone listening to Feldman lately?

I bought that excellent recording back around March/April, even though I already had a good chunk of the piano material on other recordings including this (long OOP) box:


Like you, I was listening to loads of Feldman (and also Cage) at the (local) height of the shutdown. But I haven't revisited for quite a while, lately have preferred louder, more "lively" / "upbeat" music. Maybe I'll switch back when the hurricane season slows down.

[vers la flamme]

^Lots of Cage for me then as well.

@milk, it might only be available from the label website:

http://www.anothertimbre.com/feldmanpiano.html

That's where I got it from. Well worth the money spent. BTW, it also contains chamber works for other ensembles, all with piano(s) but also strings, percussion etc.

What do you think of the one you found on Amazon? I've never heard of it.

[T. D.]

I found it cheapest to order direct from Another Timbre (even with shipping from UK to US, which was commendably fast). Before realizing that, I once bought an AT recording (the very same Feldman Two Pianos iirc) from Squidco, who carry much of the AT catalogue.

[vers la flamme]

I found it cheapest to order direct from Another Timbre (even with shipping from UK to US, which was commendably fast). Before realizing that, I once bought an AT recording (the very same Feldman Two Pianos iirc) from Squidco, who carry much of the AT catalogue.

Yeah I think it came out to about 20 bucks for the double CD, shipping included. I got it in under two weeks. Even came with a nice "thank you" note from label owner Simon Reynell.

[Mandryka]

Yeah I think it came out to about 20 bucks for the double CD, shipping included. I got it in under two weeks. Even came with a nice "thank you" note from label owner Simon Reynell.

It's a one man operation, he does come across as a nice chap. And I'm assured that he's a lefty too, so all good.

[T. D.]

It's a one man operation, he does come across as a nice chap. And I'm assured that he's a lefty too, so all good.

Good to hear. Simon's been most friendly in my dealings with him. I like to support the label, have ordered a few times and listened to loads of samples, currently on the fence concerning a couple of potential orders. I must say that an awful lot of the AT online samples (by diverse composers) sound more than vaguely reminiscent of Feldman or Cage, though.