Morton Feldman, American composer and academic (d. 1987)
Morton Feldman (January 12, 1926 – September 3, 1987) was a profoundly influential American composer, widely recognized as a pivotal figure in 20th-century classical music. His unique approach to composition fundamentally reshaped perceptions of musical time, structure, and sound itself.
A leading light of the experimental New York School, Feldman was a pioneer of indeterminate music, an innovative compositional technique where certain elements of a piece are left to chance or the performer's discretion. This movement, often referred to as aleatoric music, challenged traditional notions of fixed scores and predictable outcomes. Feldman's involvement with the New York School placed him alongside other groundbreaking composers such as John Cage, Christian Wolff, and Earle Brown. This coterie of avant-garde artists, active primarily in the 1950s and 1960s, explored radical new ways of creating and experiencing music, often drawing parallels with the abstract expressionist painters of the era, many of whom were Feldman's close friends, including Mark Rothko, Philip Guston, and Jackson Pollock.
Feldman's works are immediately identifiable by their distinctive sonic characteristics, meticulously crafted through his ingenious notational innovations. He developed revolutionary methods to transcribe his musical ideas, moving beyond conventional staff notation to achieve a unique sound world:
- Free and Floating Rhythms: Early in his career, Feldman employed graphic notation (e.g., in his *Projection* series) where precise pitches or durations were not always specified, allowing for a sense of rhythmic fluidity and spontaneity. Later, he used proportional notation, indicating durations relative to each other rather than strict metrical beats, resulting in a sensation of music unfolding freely, detached from a rigid pulse.
- Softly Unfocused Pitch Shadings: His music often features delicate, almost shimmering clusters of notes and subtle dissonances. Pitches might not be sharply defined, creating a "hazy" or "unfocused" quality achieved through closely voiced harmonies, sustained tones, and a remarkable sensitivity to timbre, exploring the nuanced interplay of different instrumental colors.
- Generally Quiet and Slowly Evolving Music: A hallmark of Feldman's entire oeuvre is its prevailing quietness, often maintaining *pianissimo* dynamics throughout entire compositions. The music unfolds at an exceptionally slow pace, devoid of dramatic climaxes or conventional narrative arcs. This deliberate slowness invites listeners to focus intently on the subtle shifts in texture, harmony, and color, encouraging a meditative engagement with the sound.
- Recurring Asymmetric Patterns: While his music often appears static, a closer listen reveals intricate, subtly shifting patterns. These are typically short, repetitive figures that are re-articulated with slight variations in rhythm, instrumentation, or register, creating a sense of constant, yet almost imperceptible, evolution. These non-symmetrical repetitions avoid predictability, contributing to the music's unique, dream-like quality.
A significant shift occurred in Feldman's compositional output after 1977, when his works began to explore unprecedented extremes of duration. Driven by a desire to remove traditional dramatic structures and to allow the listener to experience sound purely as sound, detached from conventional notions of time, these later pieces could last for hours. Notable examples include his String Quartet No. 2 (1983), which can exceed six hours in performance, and *For Philip Guston* (1984), lasting over four hours. This radical extension of duration forces a re-evaluation of how music is perceived, transforming the listening experience into a profound, immersive journey.
Feldman's legacy continues to resonate, influencing generations of composers and artists who seek to explore the boundaries of sound, time, and perception.
Frequently Asked Questions about Morton Feldman
- Who was Morton Feldman?
- Morton Feldman (1926-1987) was a groundbreaking American composer celebrated for his innovative contributions to 20th-century classical music, particularly his pioneering work in indeterminate music and his unique sonic aesthetic characterized by quietness, slowness, and extended durations.
- What is indeterminate music?
- Indeterminate music, also known as aleatoric music, is a compositional approach where certain elements of a musical piece are left to chance or the performer's discretion rather than being precisely notated. Feldman was a key figure in developing this concept.
- What are the main characteristics of Feldman's music?
- Feldman's music is distinct for its extremely quiet dynamics, very slow tempos, a sense of "free" or "floating" rhythms, delicate "unfocused" pitch shadings, and subtle, recurring asymmetric patterns. His later works are also known for their exceptionally long durations, some lasting many hours.
- What was the New York School, and how was Feldman involved?
- The New York School was a loose group of avant-garde artists, including composers like John Cage, Christian Wolff, Earle Brown, and Morton Feldman, active in the mid-20th century. They explored experimental approaches to art and music, often influenced by Abstract Expressionism. Feldman was a central figure, collaborating closely with these composers and drawing inspiration from his friendships with contemporary painters.
- Why did Feldman's later works become so long?
- After 1977, Feldman consciously began to compose pieces of extreme duration, such as his six-hour String Quartet No. 2. He aimed to strip away traditional narrative and dramatic development, allowing the listener to experience sound purely in its own right and to redefine the perception of musical time, fostering a deeper, more immersive listening experience.