Morton feldman was a unique and influential american composer. Here is one of the great contemporary masterpieces for voice. Deceptive cadence if youve never heard for bunita marcus, pianist marcandre hamelin predicts itll be either the most aggravating thing youve. The frame music puts around time is also a magnifying glass. Morton feldman january 12, 1926 september 3, 1987 was an american composer. It is with these systems that feldmans ordering of ideas is clearer in the sketches than in the published score, as feldman. Strange and challenging times, but also times in which to be surprised by unexpected pleasures. Abuse of this feature may prevent future contributions from your account. The score should not have a coherent theme but should sample feldmans views on music, art, work, history, and life. His experimentation with nontraditional notation, improvisation, and timbre led to a characteristic style that emphasized isolated and usually quiet points or moments of sound. Rothko chapel, study score composed by morton feldman 19261987. Morton feldman composer buy sheet music and scores. Some of the pieces have been very rarely performed or recorded, and have probably never been in better hands. British soprano juliet fraser interprets morton feldman her way.
I love three voices 1982, and i remember liking the viola in my life 1970 and rothko chapel 1971, though i have to admit that i havent heard them in years and dont remember them too well. Moon voice, and it is uncertain now how the five uniquely individual musical pieces were correlated with the tripartite division of the choreography. Western europe, 194550 3 paris, 194548 the young boulez boulezs second piano sonata other. One of those rarities is feldmans last work for solo voice. For philip guston scorespec by morton feldman 19261987. Feldmans composition is meditative, and the interwoven textures of aszodis three voices have a lulling effect. Morton feldman s three voices as interpretation and elegy. This piece is sung by the swiss deep voice, marianne schuppe in trio with herself, a feat made possible by playing back recordings of her own voice. Looking through feldmans body of work, its striking how many vocal pieces he wrote. I dont know feldman s music too well, but ive always had a positive impression of it. As the voice twists and turns, rises and falls, folding on itself in complicated repetitions and variations, we are conscious both of the intricacy of the patternmaking and the. Feldmans scores published by jamesp on 26 september 2015 3 responses as i noted in a recent post, i have decided it is time i learned morton feldman s triadic memories. The firstknown graphically scored works of the postwar era, the projections were immediately championed by feldman s friend john cage in the language of his budding philosophy of nonintention, a framework of thought largely alien to feldman.
The fair copy of the score, with some minor changes to the ending, is in the paul. Feldmans experiments with the use of chance in his composition in turn inspired john cage to write pieces like the music of changes, where the notes to be played are determined by consulting the i ching. Feldman s starting point was not a theme in the conventional sense. He worked in the family business until he was fortyfour years old, and he.
Morton feldman 1composer, pianist musical gifts discovered early 2began using graph notation 3works known for a signature stillness 4selected compositions 5selected discography 6sources 7 morton feldman 8 was one of the most significant composers of his generation, considered by m. The collection provides little in the way of musical evidence for feldman s compositional processes or thinking since the manuscripts are the vellum fair copies that peters used to produce their publications of feldman s music. Classical music for relaxation, music for stress relief, relax music, bach, de044 duration. Three early scores open the cd a realization of his graphic score intersection i 1951, then structures 196062 and on time and the instrumental factor 1969, both pieces fixing pitches but leaving their duration to. Morton feldman edition 9 composing by numbers the barton workshop plays graphic scores the barton workshop james fulkerson, director projection i 1950 2. Search for library items search for lists search for contacts search for a library. Morton feldman john tilbury all piano 1999, cd discogs. Yellow brick cinema relaxing music recommended for you. Nov 12, 2012 a guide to morton feldmans music dont be daunted by his fivehourlong string quartet feldman offers a truly intimate encounter with the substance of sound tom service. Find morton feldman credit information on allmusic. Followe thy faire sunne 1962 for voice and chimes is unique to the music. He is best known for his instrumental pieces which are frequently written for unusual groups of instruments, feature isolated, carefully chosen, predominantly quiet sounds, and are often very long. Browse and buy sheet music by the composer morton feldman 192687. In pieces like the second quartet and the 90minute three voices, for a live singer and two recorded sound images of herself 1982, he.
Three voices for mezzo soprano and tape or for 3 voices ue21409. A double cd of music for multiple pianos from what is arguably the most experimental and interesting period of morton feldman s development as a composer. This is for philip guston, composed in 1984 by morton feldman and it is receiving its british premiere, as part of the planet tree music festival, this friday evening at the conway hall in london. Feldmans original intention was that a singer would perform one part while being accompanied by prerecordings of the two other parts.
There are few composers of his generation whose first and last published work in feldmans case journey to. Morton feldman at pytheas contemporary, modern, new, non. Morton feldman was the first composer of the socalled new york school including cage, brown, wolff and tudor to experiment with a new type of notation and write music involving a considerable degree of indeterminacy in regard to pitch. Feldman was commissioned to compose the score for jack garfeins 1961 film, something wild. American composer of quietly textured music, sometimes of extreme length, with notable works including viola in my life and rothko chapel. Apr 17, 2018 classical music for relaxation, music for stress relief, relax music, bach, de044 duration. June 18, 20 from the sweet melodies by bach to the quiet sound world of morton feldman, sample three fascinating new albums by todays top. The idea of morton feldman says is to turn feldmans talks into a score. Intersection 2, composed in 1951, is one of the two scores copied by. Pdf morton feldman musical analysis felipe pinto d. Susan narucki is a professor in the music department at ucsd and shes aszodis advisor. It consists of 72 scores and 7 sets of parts for compositions by feldman. Ue now digital product printed product morton feldman. Morton feldmans three voices as interpretation and elegy.
Voices and piano, written for nicolas hodges, is an extensive cycle of pieces, each for a single recorded voice, mostly of a wellknown celebrity, and piano. A truly original voice, he composed music of a still, tranquil quality that never stated itself in the same way. He experimented with nonstandard systems of musical notation, often using grids in his scores. The viola in my life t he music on this recording illustrates the essential integrity of the work of morton feldman 19261987 and one of its fundamental strengthsits continuously unfolding unanimity of purpose. Morton feldman voices and cello 1973 scorevideo youtube. Im not sure who i am when im not performing, but i am going to find out. Morton feldman 19261987 morton feldman was one of the most significant composers of his generation, considered by many a genius. The mix should be between personal stories and highly intellectual reflections on matters of composition and sounds. Morton feldman was a big, brusque jewish guy from woodside, queensthe son of a manufacturer of childrens coats. There are few composers of his generation whose first and last published work in feldman s case journey to. Feldman was a large scale american, with lank, oily hair and myopic eyes that squinted through blackframed, pebble glasses. Quince ensemble will perform morton feldman s three voices in concert at 7.
The range of pieces presented here depict very many different types of quietness from the delicate sounds of piano three hands and piano four hands to the massed complexities of two pieces for three pianos. Three voices for mezzo soprano and tape or for 3 voices. Morton feldman s writings, lectures, and interviews reveal a unified and consistent compositional drive towards a static musical rhetoric, or, to use his term, time undisturbed. A major figure in 20thcentury music, feldman was a pioneer of indeterminate music, a development associated with the experimental new york school of composers also including john cage, christian wolff, and earle brown. Quietness in feldmans piano music is a performance instruction which is everything to do with touch and the desire to really hear. He worked in the family business until he was fortyfour years old, and he later became a professor of music at the state university of new york at buffalo. In the winter of 195051 morton feldman composed a series of pieces titled projections in a new notation of his own invention. Morton feldman january 12, 1926 september 3, 1987 was an american composer a major figure in 20thcentury music, feldman was a pioneer of indeterminate music, a development associated with the experimental new york school of composers also including john cage, christian wolff, and earle brown. Shop and buy for philip guston scorespec sheet music. Voice and instruments 1972 is classic berlin period feldman. Feldman selects specific pitches which either refer back to the same pitch class within the last two or three events 2, or in which the harmonic spectra above a given fundamental.
Morton feldman born january 12, 1926, died september 3, 1987 was an american composer. Essential to his outlook was the notion of orchestration as the primary compositional determinant. Morton feldman download free sheet music and scores. Photograph of morton feldman at piano, with creative associates julius. Narucki says, theres a lot of repetition of pattern and even though its very long in terms of duration, its contemplative and very soothing. He had worked in the family businessa childrens coat factory near laguardia airport in new york citysince his early twenties and been disparaged by pierre boulez as a dilettante because of it. There are principally two concepts in effect at the musical surface of the piano piece three hands. Three voices for voice and tape 1982 by morton feldman 19261987. Spontaneity, intimacy, and friendship in morton feldmans. In three voices everything focuses on the singer, and the music morton feldman gives her to sing is as unremittingly demanding as anything in his instrumental writing. Morton feldman beth griffith three voices 1989, vinyl. Notes on for philip guston by morton feldman robert worby.
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