Album: Morton Feldman, Neither (Hat [now] Art)

Andy Gill
Thursday 30 June 2011 19:00 EDT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Though nominally an opera, this collaboration between Feldman and Samuel Beckett features neither setting nor characters, and a mere 16 lines of text, which makes it more of a cantata.

Yet the subject matter – basically, the indefinability of individual existence – and Feldman's suitably forbidding treatment are as broodingly monumental as any Wagnerian myth. Opening with dark brass sonorities which seem to pulse from within, the piece employs tone-clusters teetering on the brink of discordancy, hinting at the "neither" of which Beckett writes. The libretto is delivered by soprano Sarah Leonard either in monotone individual syllables, or elided up and down the scale. The effect is a haunting air of mystery, in which uncertainties of key and harmony reflect the larger uncertainties of consciousness itself.

DOWNLOAD THIS: Neither

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in