Morton feldman s second string quartet is one of the most infamous pieces of the 20th century. New york native and avantgarde composer morton feldman composed this work just two years before his death in 1987, and it haunts the listener into a prism of melancholy. His 1979 string quartet was followed first by his epic, fivehour string quartet ii 1983 and then by a series of works for solo instrument and string quartet, including ones with. Morton feldman kronos quartet with aki takahashi piano and string quartet. Jan 17, 2002 in his later years, american composer morton feldman wrote long compositions. Written two years before his death in 1987, morton feldman s piano and string quartet is a shimmering, pristine musical event. New yorks formidable flux quartet has made something of a specialty of morton feldmans terrifying sixhour string quartet no. Morton feldman kronos quartet with aki takahashi piano. If you are considering this score, you probably know what youre getting into. Piano, violin, viola, cello often abbreviated to pvvc was morton feldman s final composition, receiving its premiere on july 4th 1987, less than two months before the composers death from pancreatic cancer on september 3rd. The most interesting aspect for me, composing exclusively with patterns, is that there is not one organizational procedure more advantageous than another, perhaps because no one pattern ever takes precedence over the others. Provided to youtube by nonesuch piano and string quartet kronos quartet morton feldman.
A rarely heard and epic achievement, the music creates a trancelike focus. Piano and string quartet is a studio album by the kronos quartet and aki takahashi piano. The late morton feldman s legendary monolithic string quartet finally comes to compact disc almost 20 years after it was written, and some after it was debuted by the kronos quartet for the cbc as a live broadcast. Violin 1, violin 2, viola, cello, piano sheet music book by morton feldman 19261987. String quartet 2 by morton feldman 19261987 performance. The second quartet is well known for lasting six hours and demanding extreme endurance from its players. This recording of the piece dates from january 2017 at henry wood hall, where it was recorded by simon reynell. It is an extremely useful score that is fairly large and in feldman s own hand. Nov 12, 2012 dont be daunted by his fivehourlong string quartet feldman offers a truly intimate encounter with the substance of sound tom service mon 12 nov 2012 14.
Piano and string quartet, an album by morton feldman, kronos quartet on spotify we and our partners use cookies to personalize your experience, to show you ads based on your interests, and for measurement and analytics purposes. Feldman bass clarinet and percussion november 2019 75. Jan 12, 2012 i f any single piece epitomises the beauty and the hypnotic power of morton feldman s final works, it is piano and string quartet, composed in 1985, just two years before his death. Peeling away from the aleatoric musical notation which defined his early 1950s work and opting for the conventional performing forces of the string quartet, feldman manages nonetheless to liberate sound from structure, from dramatic expectation, from instruments and space. With its chords based on semitones, this nearly 80minute, single movement work floats in a typical feldmanesque haze, yet progresses with a forward moving determination and logic that sets it apart from some of feldman s more static pieces of this period. Covid19 update despite the problems caused by the coronavirus our webshop and the contact forms on our website are fully available.
Cd, album elektra nonesuch, elektra nonesuch, elektra nonesuch. Photograph of morton feldman at piano, with creative associates julius. Morton feldmans large scale work simply entitled violin and string quartet commences with the violin soloist contemplating the minor seventh interval a to g over and over again, in no predictable rhythmic configuration, while confronted by soft, dissonant chord clouds from the other musicians. Morton feldman the king of denmark perc last month 9. He was a pioneer in aleatoric music and indeterminate music, and in music requiring improvisation. Feldman string quartet and orchestra for string quartet and. Composition, for horn, celesta and string quartet 19 sonata, for violin and piano 1945. Nov 27, 2016 the piano and the quartet stay at the same low whisper, like having a muffled conversation in a library where people are trying to read. Clarinet and string quartet has its own sound, texture, and point of view. Shifting, unsettling, and yet every bit hypnotic, pianist aki takahashi and the worldrenowned kronos quartet conjure up the ghost of feldman to wander the streets of new york as if they were abandon. We believe this to be the second longest stringbased movement in existence the longest also composed by morton feldman. Composed two years before his death, the ultraimpressionistic piano and string quartet is one of the most beguiling of feldman s late works.
Cd, album elektra nonesuch, elektra nonesuch, elektra nonesuch 7559793202, 9 793202, 793202. Piano and string quartet, a song by morton feldman, kronos quartet on spotify we and our partners use cookies to personalize your experience, to show you ads based on your interests, and for measurement and analytics purposes. I attempted the quintuplet cd set, sampling several cds per day for two weeks, and then later started and stopped the single dvda over a week. Feldman s works are characterized by notational innovations that he developed to create his. Morton feldman, christina fong, rangzen quartet violin. Morton feldman works date title instruments publisher recording 19 composition horn, celesta, string quartet x 19 dear merce aka. Contrasting aki takahashis widelyspaced piano arpeggios with kronos quartet s extended chords, feldman allows lingering sounds from either the piano or the strings to haze over many of the pieces nearsilences. Trombone, viola, piano yx 1951 structures string quartet ep 6912 y 1951 composition 8 little pieces cello, piano x y 1951 variations piano ep 67976 y 1951 music for the film jackson pollock 2 cellos x y 1951 marginal intersection large orchestra ep 6909 y. While much of feldman s later music is long in duration, this was his endurance test. An analysis of morton feldman s piano and string quartet by frank sani.
Untitled tune for merce cunningham piano x 19 intermission on johns preparation piano x 194. Hamelin thinks of for bunita marcus as a kind of alternate. Feldmans works are characterized by notational innovations that he developed to create his. There are only few analysis of morton feldmans 19261987 music, especially for his last phase hanninen 2004a, p. From glenn freemans introduction at an event on 18th february 2002. I dont have the endurance for a recording of string quartet no. A major figure in 20thcentury music, feldman went through several compositional phases. It is a recording of one of morton feldmans final works many of feldmans late works are quite lengthy, and this work is no exception. 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. Morton feldman once called the string quartet the pinnacle of western music, and his longterm interest in the genre certainly flourished in his later years.
Morton feldman piano and string quartet 1985 youtube. Morton feldman was a unique and influential american composer. Morton feldman january 12, 1926 september 3, 1987 was an american composer, born in new york city. It is a recording of one of morton feldman s final works many of feldman s late works are quite lengthy, and this work is no exception. Shifting, unsettling, and yet every bit hypnotic, pianist aki takahashi and the worldrenowned kronos quartet conjure up the ghost of feldman to wander the streets of new york as if they were abandoned. Feb 28, 2014 morton feldman s large scale work simply entitled violin and string quartet commences with the violin soloist contemplating the minor seventh interval a to g over and over again, in no predictable.
Morton feldman works date title instruments publisher recording. Piano and string quartet by morton feldman 19261987. Piano and string quartet, a song by morton feldman, kronos. Sep 04, 2017 before feldman died in 1987, his music became increasingly expansive and more silent. Morton feldman download free sheet music and scores. What seems to be less discussed than length, however, is the actual content of the music, or the underlying philosophy of it, or even the intention of the composer. Piano and string quartet and for bunita marcus each fill an eighty minute cd. His experimentation with nontraditional notation, improvisation, and timbre led to a characteristic style that emphasized isolated and usually quiet points or moments of sound. Morton feldman s piano and string quartet may 2, 2016 march 3, 2017 f. Morton feldman string quartet download free sheet music and.
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