Morton Feldman wrote Three Voices for
Joan La Barbara, the remarkable singer/composer whose virtuosity made it possible for him to create such a demanding work. Its subtly shifting rhythms and varied harmonies, ranging from the microtonal to the richly chromatic, make it a haunting vocal tour de force. The composer specified in the score that the piece could be performed either by a single soloist who taped two of the parts and sang the remaining line live, or by three live singers. His clear preference was for the solo and tape version; the two speakers from which the voices issued reminded him of tombstones, and the work was written soon after the death of two close friends, painter Philip Guston and Frank O'Hara, who wrote the poem from which
Feldman took the text for the piece. The piece has been recorded by
La Barbara (the tape version), and by the Accroche Note Ensemble (the live version), and the newest recording features German singer
Marianne Schuppe in the tape version.
La Barbara's recording is certainly authoritative, and she sings with unrivalled purity and naturalness, but
Schuppe's interpretation is individual enough that it merits attention. Where
La Barbara's clearly articulated breathing gives the opening a sense of folk-like, organic flow,
Schuppe's legato style is more classically oriented.
Schuppe's performance is generally very fine, except that on the rare occasions when
Feldman takes the voice into the upper register, she sounds strained. Overall, though, the performance is a strong representation of a piece that invites the interpreter's creative input. Col Legno's sound is clean and natural.