Composer

:

Morton Feldman

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Electronic Music

Compose Date

:

1982

Average_duration

:

51:33

Movement_count

:

10

Movement ....

Morton Feldman's 'Three Voices' is a composition for three female voices and tape, composed in 1982. The piece was premiered on October 2, 1982, at the University of California, San Diego, by Joan La Barbara, who also served as the work's dedicatee. The piece is divided into three movements, each of which is characterized by a different vocal technique. The first movement features a technique called "whisper singing," in which the singer produces a soft, breathy sound that is barely audible. The second movement features a technique called "sprechstimme," in which the singer speaks the text in a rhythmically precise manner, but with a sliding pitch that is not quite singing. The third movement features a more traditional singing style, but with a focus on sustained tones and a slow, deliberate pace. The text of the piece is taken from a poem by Frank O'Hara called "Wind," which describes the movement of wind through a landscape. Feldman's use of the text is highly fragmented, with individual words and phrases repeated and recombined in different ways throughout the piece. The tape part, which is played simultaneously with the live voices, features a variety of electronic sounds and field recordings that complement and contrast with the vocal textures. Overall, 'Three Voices' is a highly abstract and meditative work that emphasizes the subtle nuances of vocal sound and the interplay between live and recorded elements. Its spare, minimalist aesthetic and focus on extended techniques make it a quintessential example of Feldman's late style.

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