NEW ON WERGO – TO CELEBRATE THE 100TH BIRTHDAY OF MORTON FELDMAN

January 12, 2025 marks the 100th anniversary of Morton Feldman's birth. Together with John Cage, Earle Brown and Christian Wolff, the American composer Morton Feldman is ascribed to the New York School of Music.

Morton Feldman and the Piano

For Feldman, the piano was not only the embodiment of Western culture, it was also his gateway to the world of music, the instrument closest to his heart. At the age of twelve Feldman studied piano with Madame Maurina-Press. In 1941 he began to study composition. Throughout his various compositional phases, Feldman wrote numerous piano works and chamber music with piano, as well as a piano concerto. Feldman wrote works for multiple pianos or for piano three or four hands to perform with friends such as John Cage, Christian Wolff, and David Tudor. In John Cage, Feldman found a mentor who opened up the world of contemporary music and art to him

Morton Feldman und John Cage

There is a story that in January of 1950, Morton Feldman and John Cage met in the lobby of Carnegie Hall in New York after a performance of Anton Webern’s Symphony Op. 21; both of them had left the concert after the Webern so as not to let other music disturb their impression of the piece. The friendship that grew from this auspicious first encounter was significant for both artists. Cage, who was 14 years older, introduced the 24-year-old Feldman to the New York art scene, particularly to a number of painters. His association with visual artists – especially the Abstract Expressionists – would prove to be particularly influential on Feldman’s thinking as a composer.

Morton Feldman’s Piano Works for Three or More Hands

With these recordings made at the Westdeutscher Rundfunk in Cologne, the participating artists present the first complete recording of all of Feldman's piano works for more than two hands. The piano duo elaeis – Jovita Zähl and Philipp Kronbichler – collaborated with other pianists and singers. The recordings include several first recordings, such as “Pianos and Voices”, recorded for the first time on five grand pianos with five sopranos, and the recently discovered “Trio for Two Pianos and Cello” with Rohan de Saram, long-time member of the Arditti Quartet, playing the violoncello.

Morton Feldman: Complete Works for Multiple Piano The fame of Feldman's late work temporarily overshadowed our appreciation of his earlier compositions, the importance of which is amply demonstrated in this album. – A magnificent release to mark the composer's 100th birthday!   View in Store

_{Photo: Image archive of the International Music Institute Darmstadt_Photo Manfred Melzer}