Only: Works for Voice and Instruments by Morton Feldman

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
These are works for voice and various instruments, with the voice treated as just another instrument. Joan La Barbara has long been associated with Morton Feldman, having performed many of his works (in fact, many of Feldman's works have been written with La Barbara in mind). As in all of Feldman's instrumental works, the voice, singing mostly single, sustained tones, is placed against the piano (as in Voice, Violin and Piano of 1976) or highlighted, as in Vertical Thoughts of 1965. New Albion's engineers have created an intimate atmosphere on this disc, even if the music is harrowing. --Paul Cook

Only: Works for Voice and Instruments by Morton Feldman, Music, Erika Duke Kirkpatrick, Stephen Harrison, Morton Feldman, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, Lawrence Ragent, William Winant, Marvin Tarak, Ralph Grierson, Joan La Barbara, Peter Wahrhaftig, Roy Malan, Avant-Garde Music, Chamber Music & Recitals, Classical, Classical Composers, Miscellaneous Vocal Music, More than Two Solo Voices (w or w/o Keyboard or Continuo), Solo Voice(s) and Small Ensemble, Vocal

Only: Works for Voice and Instruments by Morton Feldman
Average customer rating:

Feldman for the already converted

Ravishing Vocal Work

Only: Works for Voice and Instruments by Morton Feldman

Manufacturer: New Albion Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by Feldman | Feldman, Morton | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Morton Feldman: Complete Violin|Viola and Piano Works / Christina Fong, Paul Hersey

Feldman: Crippled Symmetry

Morton Feldman: Piano and String Quartet / Aki Takahashi, Kronos Quartet

Morton Feldman: Rothko Chapel; Why Patterns?

Morton Feldman: Three Voices for Joan La Barbara

ASIN: B000000R49
Release Date: 1996-06-10

Tracks:

Only
Voice, Violin And Piano (1976)
Vertical Thoughts 5
For Franz Kline
Voices And Cello
Pianos And Voices
Only

Amazon.com

These are works for voice and various instruments, with the voice treated as just another instrument. Joan La Barbara has long been associated with Morton Feldman, having performed many of his works (in fact, many of Feldman's works have been written with La Barbara in mind). As in all of Feldman's instrumental works, the voice, singing mostly single, sustained tones, is placed against the piano (as in Voice, Violin and Piano of 1976) or highlighted, as in Vertical Thoughts of 1965. New Albion's engineers have created an intimate atmosphere on this disc, even if the music is harrowing. --Paul Cook

Customer Reviews:

Feldman for the already converted.......2003-12-17

This disc collects various Morton Feldman works that share the use of a soprano voice or voices. Three are from the 1970s, two from the 1960s, and the whole is framed by two recordings of Feldman's earliest recorded work, the brief unaccompanied 1947 song, Only.

Voice, Violin and Piano, from 1976, is very typical of Feldman's 1970s works, though at five minutes rather shorter than most. Its slow pace and almost Webernian harmonies are gently effective. Vertical Thoughts 3, a 1963 piece for soprano, violin, tuba, percussion and celesta, is even less dynamic. It proceeds at a glacially slow pace for its five minutes, but is curiously haunting.

For Franz Kline, from 1962, is twice the length of the preceding pieces. It's more dynamic than the preceding piece, but I found it a little less focused, despite the intriguing scoring (soprano, violin, cello, horn and piano over softly echoing chimes).

The other two works are recorded using multi-tracking. Voices and Cello (written in 1973, and again less than ten minutes long) features multiple vocal lines slowly interweaving over a gently melodic cello line; in contrast Pianos and Voices (from the previous year, and actually for five sopranos, five pianos and celesta) is the most dynamic of the major works here (though even here the musical argument is never fast).

This disc will certainly appeal to Feldman fans, though I wish that it were longer (it contains less than 50 minutes of music). The performances (by Joan LaBarbara and other Feldman specialists) are excellent, though they don't totally disguise the fact that this disc is of minor rather than major Feldman.

Ravishing Vocal Work.......2002-09-10

Each time I buy a new Feldman disc, it seems to become my favorite Feldman disc. This one is no exception. This is a deeply felt tribute album made by the fabulous Joan La Barbara with members of the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players. It is a followup to Ms. La Barbara's earlier tribute to Feldman, Three Voices. While this music is on the whole, not as monolithic as that overdubbed masterpiece, the pieces on the album are varied and exquisite little jewels of Feldman's output.

The pieces range from the opener and closer, an unaccompanied vocal song called Only, set to an English translation of Rilke and written in 1947, to the 17 minute Pianos and Voices from the 70's. Most of the material is for small groups of intruments with either solo voice, or M.s La Barbara overdubbed. There are works like Vertical Thoughts 5, and For Franz Kline from the early 60's, almost Webernesque in their effect. For Franz Kline is particularly interesting, as it retains some of the vestiges of Feldman's use of chance procedures. The notes are defined by Feldman, but each musician is free to procede at an individual pace.

There are also several Feldman works from the 70s, a time that is particularly underrepresented in recordings at the moment. Fledman's music at this time was precisely notated, but interested in the progression from sound to sound, rather than the pattern pieces that would predominate to unusual length at the end of his life. Amoung these works, I particularly like Pianos and Voices, a work for 5 pianos, 1 celeste and 5 voices. Here M's La Barbara makes the decision to overdub herself rather than use a live ensemble. What may be missed from the live interaction of the musicians is compensated for by the lovely sound of her voice echoing over and over again in the piece. The work is haunting.

Feldman's marvelous late works are really an aquired taste. So little can seem to happen in them that works like Piano and String Quartet can begin to sound static without deep concentration. But this music is not that way. The longest piece is only 17 minutes long, and the concentration on differing chords makes the works sound varied in harmony and texture. Thus, this collection is highly recommended for people who are interesting in listening to Feldman for the first time. It's a great introduction. And you can't get a better voice for this music than Joan La Barbara. Add to that, the gloriously spacious New Albion sound (they have as identifyable a sound and Manfred Eicher's ECM label) and this is a superb release. The only regret is that, at 49 minutes, the release is a little skimpy. There are other Feldman works which would make great additions to the pieces here. One wishes that La Barbara and company had recorded them as well.

Music Review:

Music Review

music review

Music Review

Tyger [Import]

Arawi: The Doctrine of Cycles

Art of the Piano

That Old Feeling

Can't Stop Dancing V.2 [Import]

Brainwave Symphony: Unwind & Sleep

Asymmetry [Import]

Bird 3

Boneyard [Import]

Arvo Pärt: Berliner Messe; Magnificat; Summa