The anniversary reminds me of my struggle to sit through a live performance of Feldman's second quartet, which I heard at the Armory all those years ago! I've been listening to some of the Bandcamp excerpts and still don't share your appreciation of Feldman's music, but as always, I appreciate your eloquent words!
Thank you for this thoughtful and meaningful tribute. Kyle Gann's insightful obit in the Voice, published Oct. 6, 1987, gives a fascinating snapshot of the way Feldman was perceived here in New York at the time of his death. He was far from the iconic figure he is now, partly because so few recordings were available. I recall discussing the issue with him – he wasn't particularly interested in having his music recorded, especially the late works. LPs were too noisy for his very quiet pieces, and once he began working in extended durations, the medium became even less appealing. As it was, he died at the dawn of the compact disc era. IMO HatArt's initiative to record Feldman's complete catalog on CD was absolutely vital to Feldman's rise in critical and popular esteem. Once people could actually hear the pieces, they found the audience they deserved all along.
The anniversary reminds me of my struggle to sit through a live performance of Feldman's second quartet, which I heard at the Armory all those years ago! I've been listening to some of the Bandcamp excerpts and still don't share your appreciation of Feldman's music, but as always, I appreciate your eloquent words!
Great piece, Steve. I love Feldman’s music so much.
Thank you for this thoughtful and meaningful tribute. Kyle Gann's insightful obit in the Voice, published Oct. 6, 1987, gives a fascinating snapshot of the way Feldman was perceived here in New York at the time of his death. He was far from the iconic figure he is now, partly because so few recordings were available. I recall discussing the issue with him – he wasn't particularly interested in having his music recorded, especially the late works. LPs were too noisy for his very quiet pieces, and once he began working in extended durations, the medium became even less appealing. As it was, he died at the dawn of the compact disc era. IMO HatArt's initiative to record Feldman's complete catalog on CD was absolutely vital to Feldman's rise in critical and popular esteem. Once people could actually hear the pieces, they found the audience they deserved all along.