Composer

:

Morton Feldman

Genre

:

Keyboard

Style

:

Open Form

Compose Date

:

1986

Average_duration

:

25:47

Palais de Marie is a composition by Morton Feldman, an American composer known for his experimental and avant-garde approach to music. The piece was composed in 1986 and premiered on October 17, 1986, at the Palais de Mari in Paris, France. Palais de Marie is a single-movement work that lasts approximately 70 minutes. The piece is scored for a large ensemble consisting of 22 musicians, including strings, winds, brass, percussion, and piano. The instrumentation is unusual, with instruments such as the bass flute, bass clarinet, and contrabassoon featured prominently. The piece is characterized by Feldman's signature style of slow, quiet, and spacious music. The music is marked by long, sustained tones, delicate textures, and subtle shifts in harmony and timbre. The piece is also notable for its use of silence, with long pauses between notes and sections of the music. Palais de Marie is divided into several sections, each with its own distinct character and mood. The opening section features a slow, mournful melody played by the strings, while the winds and percussion provide a delicate accompaniment. The music gradually builds in intensity, with the brass and percussion adding weight and power to the sound. As the piece progresses, the music becomes more fragmented and abstract, with individual instruments and sections of the ensemble breaking off into their own independent lines. The music becomes more sparse and quiet, with long periods of silence punctuated by brief bursts of sound. The final section of the piece returns to the mournful melody of the opening, but with a sense of resolution and closure. The music fades away into silence, bringing the piece to a gentle and peaceful conclusion. Overall, Palais de Marie is a haunting and evocative work that showcases Feldman's unique approach to music. The piece is characterized by its slow, spacious, and delicate sound, and its use of silence and subtle shifts in harmony and timbre.

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