Morton Feldman

Making Music by Intuition

Morton Feldman (1926-1987) composed music without structure—no distinct parts, introductions, rhythmic patterns, or finales. Like Alban Berg, Feldman’s music was said to have already started before it began and continued even after it ended. He described his work as a "landscape of time."

Influenced by John Cage, the pioneer of chance music, Feldman fully trusted his intuition. His music features soft, slowly moving sounds, without frantic movements or dramatic climaxes. It is dreamy, yet requires full concentration, never lulling the listener to sleep.

Feldman transforms the perception of time not by stopping it but by changing how we experience it. During his over 5-hour-long String Quartet No. 2, no one feels the need for a break. Though his pieces are lengthy, Feldman often considered them too short.

Nieuw Amsterdams Peil, the ensemble led by Heleen Hulst (violin) and Gerard Bouwhuis (piano), recently recorded Feldman’s final composition, Piano, Violin, Viola, and Cello (1987) for the TRPTK label. An insightful interview with the musicians can be found on www.nieuwehuysconcerten.nl.