MORTON FELDMAN : The Late Piano Works, Vol. 3 – Piano • Palais De Mari (Steffen Schleiermacher) (2009) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Along with slowly cycling gestures, haunting sonorities, and soft dynamics, the late piano works of Morton Feldman are usually noteworthy for their extreme length. The compositions on the first two volumes of Steffen Schleiermacher's series for MDG, Triadic Memories (timed at 80:44) and For Bunita Marcus (71:48), fall into this category of music on a vast scale. In contrast to them, the two pieces on the third volume, Piano (31:57), and Palais de Mari (22:49), are fairly short for Feldman, and listeners who want to explore his keyboard music in a somewhat more manageable timeframe may choose to start with them. The same spaciousness and quietude of the other works can be found here, and Schleiermacher's sensitivity and control assure that the rarefied moods and delicate sounds are evenly handled throughout both pieces. Thanks to the unprocessed and fully natural audio signal, all of the nuances of Schleiermacher's touch are captured, yet there is also a slight background sound that apparently comes from the performance space, not from any defect in the all-digital recording. Listeners may find that this is only a mild distraction and easy to get past once the music takes hold. This important series is recommended for all Feldman aficionados and anyone interested in the sublime expressions of his late period. Blair Sanderson                 Tracklist + Credits :