Listening to one of Morton Feldman’s later works requires perseverance.
While some of the long piano works fit on a single CD, some of
his other compositions, such as this one, For Christian Wolff,
cover several discs. At just under three hours, this is brief
compared to the Second String Quartet (nearly 6 hours), but it
remains one of the handful of works that Feldman composed that
daunt both performers and listeners.
With very simple melodic phrases from the
instruments - here a single flute and piano or celesta - this
work, like much of Feldman’s music seems to go nowhere. Listeners
with short attention spans are advised to steer clear of this
type of minimalism and stick with the safer composers, such
as Steve Reich, Philip Glass or John Adams. But those who stick
it out, who sit for three hours listening patiently, may find
themselves rewarded.
Listening to a long Feldman work is like
walking toward a distant mountain, or like making bread and
patiently waiting for it to rise. Things happen, but slowly:
phrases repeat, then change slightly, then return, then change
again. There is no obvious structure; there are many close intervals;
the two instruments seem to be playing independently. Then,
suddenly, a phrase happens that seems to be just right, that
fits in perfectly with your state of mind. Then the music continues,
suddenly making sense.
It’s hard to discuss the actual performance
of a work like this. Since this is the only currently available
recording. I have nothing in my vast Feldman collection to compare
it to. While the musicians perform without the rigidity that
may occur in this type of music, the recording itself is an
issue. Much of Feldman’s later music is to be performed very
softly. I have no idea if this should be the case, but this
piece is recorded at a very high volume. After ripping these
discs, I looked at them in a waveform editor, and found that
the music is about the maximum volume possible. I found myself
having to turn down my stereo, not only because the music is
loud, but because the sound itself is very “in your face”, and
lacking in spaciousness. The subtlety that is often present
in Feldman’s music seems to be betrayed by this close recording,
which makes the instruments sound harsh, bordering on distorted
at times.
Nevertheless, for fans of Feldman’s work,
this is a must-have recording. It’s a monumental work, that
stands alongside Feldman’s other magnum opuses, his second string
quartet, and the four-hour For Philip Guston (1984) (BRIDGE
9078A/D). If you’re not familiar with Feldman’s music, this
might not be the best place to start; one of his long piano
works, such as Triadic Memories or For Bunita Marcus,
might be a better first disc. But if you like Feldman, you’ll
want to grab this set immediately.
Kirk
McElhearn
