Morton Feldman

August 15 - 22, 1 9 9 6 [Off the Record]

*** Morton Feldman

ONLY: WORKS FOR VOICE AND INSTRUMENTS

(New Albion)
Feldman's legacy among US composers rightfully rests upon his musical tributes to abstract painters (Rothko, Guston) and his skill in creating musical atmospheres where normal time perception is altered. These seven chamber works, including sketches from his early to middle years, are engaging demonstrations of these facets of his talent. Soprano Joan La Barbara, whose New Music credentials include earlier definitive recordings of Steve Reich and Philip Glass as well as Feldman, performs largely in a dreamy and otherworldly vocalise to a sparse accompaniment of piano and strings. The high point is a densely textured piece for the painter Franz Kline in which you can see one of Kline's dramatic black and white abstractions crystallize in your imagination as you listen. Although a better introductory overview to Feldman's art can be heard on The Music of Morton Feldman (CRI), this showcase offers a sensitively performed assortment of brief works reflecting a deep and complex vision.
-- Norman Weinstein