Morton Feldman: Violin and String Quartet

Christina Fong, Rangzen Quartet | Format: MP3 Download

Product Details

• Original Release Date: November 30, 2005
• Label: OgreOgress productions
• Copyright: (C) 2001 Ogreogress Productions
• Genres: Classical/Chamber Music, Classical/Historical Periods/Modern, 20th, & 21st Century
• ASIN: B001OF8L1K
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #170,796 Paid in MP3 Albums (See Top 100 Paid in MP3 Albums)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Watercolor of a Piece, January 10, 2003

By 

Christopher Forbes "weirdears" (Brooklyn,, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Violin and String Quartet (Audio CD)

Visual images sring into the mind readily when listening to the music of Morton Feldman, more so than many other contermporary composers. Each work seems related to it's own artistic medium. This work, which would seem on the face of it to share some of the sound world of Feldman's String Quartets, is in reality a much different piece of work, and a transcendently lovely one at that.

While many of Feldman's late works have an mobile like quality, or a crystalline presence, this work is more of a watercolor. The means of the work are quite simple - like Piano and String Quartet, the quartet plays shimmering clusters of tone, which almost imperceptably shift shape as you listen, while the solo violin plays contrasting material made up of mostly small note cells, some only two or three notes long, some just a sustained harmonic. The result is transparent, akin to the black and white paint and drip images of Robert Motherwell or the calligraphic simplicity of Zen ink painting. It can be a difficult world to enter for the uninitiated. Very little seems to happen in this piece, and it lasts for almost two hours, (rather short actually in the time scale of Feldman's late work). But underneath the surface symmetry is a host of subtle details that make for mesmerizing listening for those who can submerge themselves in Feldman's unique environment.

Christina Fong and the Rangzen Quartet play this music beautifully, up there with the Kronos, Ives and Flux Quartets. Late Feldman is notoriously difficult, even though the sound is pristine and serene. Feldman writes in all of the variations in rhythmic detail directly into the piece. This, plus the inordinate legnth makes any late Feldman piece an edurance test for the performer. And yet, on this disc, you are only aware of the calmness of the surface. This is quite an achievement in concert, and really amazing in the sterile environment of a modern recording studio. Kudos to all involved.

Perhaps my only complaint is the CD packaging. OrgreOgress is an important indepedent label, but as an independent it is working on a shoestring. I understand that. But the flimsey packaging leaves alot to be desired. Rather than using a jewel box or even a paper cover with a plastic insert, this CD comes with a paper cover and two CDs inside secured by only two attachments which are glued to the paper cover. I am quite afraid that either the CDs will suffer damage, or that I will loose one or both, since they don't seem really well secured. This is a fairly trivial point, and if you choose not to get this disc merely on the lack of profesional packaging, well then, you probably shouldn't be listening to Feldman at all. Stick to Britanny Spears! But it's worth mentioning anyway as a warning and perhaps a gentle hint to the OgreOgress people. Love your product, might love it better with a little better packaging.

That being said, I'll spring for jewel boxed to save these discs from harm. The music is so lovely, it's the least I can do. This is an important release from a company that is at the forfront of charting the music of the New York School. Thanks for this.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful recording of a beautiful work, February 28, 2011

By 

chiavere "chiavere" (Somewhere in the Electronic Ether) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Violin and String Quartet (Audio CD)

This is a great-sounding and well-performed recording of Feldman's work for "Violin and String Quartet." There is another performance of this piece available, but I prefer the one enclosed on this release, both for sound and performance. Highly recommended, and a beautiful piece -- otherworldly string timbres!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Morton Feldman, December 31, 2010

By 

Charles R. Rasor "Chazray" (santa rosa, ca usa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Violin and String Quartet (Audio CD)

Morton Feldman's works are beautifully realized by the clarity and unity of the Rangzen Quartet.
As always, Christina Fong adds even more clarity, subtlety, and a superior sense of melodic direction
to the ensemble. The sound on this recording is superb.