December 8, 2007: Morton Feldman’s Why Patterns? at the Modern

click here to see the program

Music that matches the art of Rothko, Newman, Fontana and Klein: Morton Feldman’s Why Patterns? declares a monolithic half-hour-long musical space that reflects their vast canvases. Feldman, a personal friend of Rothko and Newman, creates an ethereal music inspired particularly by Rothko: in Feldman’s own words, “the degrees of stasis found in Rothko were perhaps the most significant elements that I brought to my music from painting.” The ever-shifting textures of Why Patterns? draw the listener from the surface beauty of a few simple melodies into the inner life of sound. In this meditation, time and space become one. Flutist Elizabeth McNutt, pianist Steven Harlos, and percussionist Christopher Deane will perform. Admission is free and open to the public (museum admission is separate).