Judging from his vast timeframes, static structures, and evolving sonorities, one might guess that
Morton Feldman would have written little for the piano because of its limited sound production; even with the pedal held down, its attack and decay are relatively short, and the instrument's timbres might seem too neutral for his ever-shifting palette. Yet
Feldman composed for the piano all his life, and exploited its restrictions to produce austere and intensely focused works, some of which are quite beautiful and haunting. In Palais de Mari, slowly broken chords spell out the core harmony; though other pitches are gradually added, the opening tones are never completely displaced. For the miniature Nature Pieces, short gestures are extended through repetition, with minimal embellishments to mark changes over time. The Dances (3) build on isolated rhythms, and the piano's percussive qualities are highlighted, with additional sounds produced on a drum and a glass. The spare Intermissions are extremely soft, sometimes almost inaudible, and the long-held pitches and silences between pointillistic attacks create a sense of suspense that lasts well beyond the last note.
Siegfried Mauser performs
Feldman's music with great sensitivity and restraint, and Kairos has captured the subtlest sounds with sufficient clarity, though the piano's tone is a little muted.