Home » Jazz News » Recording

206

New Hat(Now)Art Releases Available: Morton Feldman: For Samuel Beckett and John Cage: Imaginary Landscapes

Source:

Sign in to view read count
Morton Feldman: For Samuel Beckett (1987) performed by Ensemble Modern (reissue)
hat(now)ART 142
Total time 43:36, ADD, Barcode: 752156014225

For Samuel Beckett is a late (1987) work, rich in detail and lush in sound (especially in relation to so many of his more austere pieces, early and late), but troubling, obsessed, claustrophobic in spite of its scope. Given their shared attraction to shadow (Feldman's music uses chiaroscuro in the way Beckett meticulously exploited darkness and light and the moods in between on the stage and on the page), it's perhaps surprising that Feldman's dedication didn't involve the starker textures of solo piano--an individual surrounded by ... nothing. In any case, this is not dazzling, but muted, orchestration; instrumental timbres and tonal colors emerge as if by chance and quickly disappear. -- Art Lange

John Cage: Imaginary Landscapes performed by Maelstroem Percussion Ensemble (reissue)
hat(now)ART 145
Total time 51:15, DDD, Barcode: 752156014522

Improvising guitarist Derek Bailey has expressed the belief that If you're going to explore uncharted territory, it's okay to carry a compass, but not a map. It's obvious; if you know where you're going and have plotted the most efficient or scenic course to get there, you may arrive without mishap but deprived of much of the drama, the danger, the unpredictable uniqueness of the journey. In the years following 1950, John Cage walked these paths of musical uncertainty, providing performers with a sense of direction but without indicating a final goal or specifying the sights one would encounter along the way. By attempting to emulate Nature in its own manner of operation, Cage sought to erase what he felt were the artificial boundaries of conventional form, escape the clichs of familiarity, and make each musical experience a discovery of detail and destination - for himself, the performer, and listener alike. - Art Lange



Preview for release end of February 2007:

David Liebman, Richie Beirach, Ron McClure & Billy Hart: Redemption-Quest Live Europe 2005 -hatOLOGY 642
Jackson Harrison Trio : Land Tides -hatOLOGY 647

Preview for release end of March 2007:

Anthony Ortega Solos and Duos: Afternoon In Paris -hatOLOGY 643
Georg Graewe, Ernst Reijseger & Gerry Hemingway: Sonic Fiction -hatOLOGY 638 (reissue, remastered)

Preview for release end of April 2007 (our 32nd year!):

Nagl, Bernstein, Akchot & Jones: Big Four Live Willisau 2005 - hatOLOGY 637
Fabian Gisler Quartet : Backyard Poets - hatOLOGY 645

Visit Website

For more information contact .

Comments

Tags

News

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.