Posted: November 18th, 2022

Long composition by Morton Feldman

Gradual Process

For this writing, I ask you to listen to a long composition by Morton Feldman posted in this week’s module, “Three Voices”. Additionally, choose ONE other piece from last week’s listenings, by either Éliane Radigue or by Alvin Lucier (but NOT the film “Cry Dr. Chicago!). Thus you will be writing about two pieces, one of which is “Three Voices”, and the other of which is a piece of your choice from Week 7.

The questions that I want you to address are these: How do these pieces function as the unfolding of a gradual process? What happens over the course of each piece that suggests a process of gradual change or transformation? The following are the questions I’d like you to answer: How do these pieces interact as a gradual process unfolds? What happens in each piece to suggest a process of gradual change or transformation? Describe, to the best of your ability, the transformation that occurs (there may be multiple ones), and the musical process through which it occurs. Does change occur step-by-step, or continuously? Does the process stretch as one continuous event over the entire span of the piece, or are there different processes in sequence? or maybe even at the same time? Can you identify critical turning points in these pieces, after which point in the process the difference to the starting point is greater than the similarity?

As usual, no citations or filler information, no critiques or quality judgements, and a length of ca. 800-1200 words.

Listening：

Morton Feldman: Three Voices (1982)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZVsEbodf6orton Feldman: Three Voices (1982)

Éliane Radigue, “Étude” from “Opus 17” (1969-70)

Éliane Radigue, “Kyema” (1990)

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