Morton Feldman: For Bunita Marcus

Bunita Marcus was not merely Morton Feldman’s student. During the last decade of his life, a nearly symbiotic relation had developed between him and his young colleague. He dedicated a composition to her, a musical homage, as he had directed them previously to icons such as John Cage, Samuel Beckett and Stephan Wolpe. The piece for solo piano is of a very personal character. Distinct notes are lost in its broad temporal sequences. As if they had respect for one another, keeping their distance instead of precipitously forming melodies, finding their place within hierarchies and stacking up in chords. Melodic approximations take place cautiously, almost as if fumbling, mostly remaining fragmentary and non-committal. The dynamics are also dominated by great wariness – or is it tenderness? The spectrum ranges between piano and pianissimo in delicate nuances. It is a challenge for the Taiwanese-Austrian pianist Hsin-Huei Huang, who interprets Feldman in her concert with delicate musicality and outstanding sonic precision. 

​Das Konzert im Radio: Freitag, 20.05.2022, WDR3 Konzert, 20:04