Flotation Device celebrates the 100th birthday of Morton Feldman with a retrospective of his famously slow, quiet and gripping music. Our sampling draws on his shortest and longest, earliest and latest, and most and least popular works, emphasizing the role of Cage, Webern and the New York School of abstract painters in formulating his musical vision. We’re helped by Joan La Barbara, Max Neuhaus, Michael Tilson Thomas and other illustrious Feldman interpreters, and we also explore his music's ongoing influence through selections by Salvatore Sciarrino, Louis Andriessen, Beat Furrer, Tyshawn Sorey, Cergio Prudencio, Gabriel Vicéns, Bryn Harrison and Kris Davis. It's the perfect two-hour centenary fix for Feldman fans, with host Michael Schell.
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Flotation Device 2026-01-11: Annotated playlist by host Michael Schell (PART ONE)
Intro and SET 1: Morton Feldman (1926–1987) and his origins [0:00]
1. [2:21] Anton Webern: Symphony, Op. 21 - 2. Variations. From Boulez Conducts Webern III (Deutsche Grammophon, 1996) with Berlin Philharmonic, Pierre Boulez (conductor), Christian Gansch (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 1928
2. [5:26] Morton Feldman: Three Dances - 1. From Morton Feldman Piano (Another Timbre, 2019) with Philip Thomas (piano), Simon Reynell (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 1950
3. [7:23] Morton Feldman: Bass Clarinet and Percussion. From The ecstasy of the moment (Etcetera, 1997) with The Barton Workshop: John Anderson (bass clarinet), Marcel Andriessen, Wim Konink (percussion), Robert Bosch (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 1981
4. [26:59] Kris Davis: Life on Venus. From The Solastalgia Suite (Pyroclastic, 2026) with Kris Davis (piano), Lutosławski Quartet: Roksana Kwaśnikowska, Marcin Markowicz (violins), Arur Rozmysłowicz (viola), Maciej Młodawski (cello), John Escobar (recording engineer)
SET 2: Feldman and his progeny [31:50]
1. [35:52] Beat Furrer: …cold and calm and moving (excerpt). From Works for Choir and Ensemble (Toccata, 2016) with Uusinta Ensemble, Nils Schweckendiek (conductor), Markku Veijonsuo (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 1992 for flute, harp, violin, viola and cello
2. [38:22] Salvatore Sciarrino: Six Capriccios for solo violin - 1. From The Refined Ear (Coviello, 2005) with Barbara Lüneburg (violin), Moritz Bergfeld (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 1976
3. [40:15] John Cage on Morton Feldman. From Indeterminacy: New Aspect of Form in Instrumental and Electronic Music (Folkways, 1959) with John Cage (voice), David Tudor (piano, electronics)
4. [42:14] Morton Feldman: Three Voices (excerpts). From Three Voices (New Albion, 1989) with Joan La Barbara (voices), Pamela Neal (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 1982
5. [57:39] Outro with Louis Andriessen: De Tijd
6. [1:02:55] Frank Zappa dedicates to Morton Feldman (March 18, 1974, Salt Lake City)
7. [1:03:09] Morton Feldman: The King of Denmark. From Electronics and Percussion: Five Realizations by Max Neuhaus (Columbia, 1968) with Max Neuhaus (percussion). NOTE: Composed 1964
Flotation Device 2026-01-11: Annotated playlist by host Michael Schell (PART TWO)
SET 3: Music and painting [1:09:27]
1. [1:12:22] Tyshawn Sorey: For George Lewis (excerpt). From For George Lewis (Cantaloupe, 2021) with Alarm Will Sound, Alan Pierson (conductor), Christopher Gold, David Myers, Jeff Francis, Michael Clayville, Ryan Streber (recording engineers)
2. [1:15:19] Morton Feldman on the influence of Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Jasper Johns and Philip Guston (July 1987, Middelburg, Netherlands)
3. [1:16:35] Morton Feldman: Rothko Chapel. From Rothko Chapel, For Stephan Wolpe, Christian Wolff in Cambridge (hänssler Classic, 2002) with Kirsten Drope (soprano), Ulrike Becker (alto), Barbara Maurer (viola), Markus Stange (celesta), Meinhard Jenne (percussion), SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart, Rupert Huber (conductor), Friedemann Trumpp (recording engineer). NOTE: Premiered April 1972 at Rothko Chapel, Houston, TX
SET 4: First, last and longest [1:40:23]
1. [1:43:57] Morton Feldman: Only. From Only: Works for Voice and Instruments (New Albion, 1996) with Joan La Barbara (soprano). NOTE: Composed 1947
2. [1:45:28] Gabriel Vicéns: …tu anhelo…. From Niebla (Clepsydra, 2026) with Gabriel Vicéns (guitar), Chris Allen (recording engineer, Sear Sound)
3. [1:47:37] Cergio Prudencio: Lejanas lejanías - 1. Imagen. From Works for Piano (Kairos, 2022) with Daniel Áñez (piano), Gabriel Dufour-Laperrière (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2004
4. [1:49:36] Morton Feldman: String Quartet (II) (excerpts). From String Quartet (II) (hat[now]ART, 2001) with Ives Ensemble: Josje Ter Haar, Janneke van Prooijen (violins), Ruben Sanderse (viola), Job Ter Haar (cello). NOTE: Composed 1983
5. [1:59:19] Morton Feldman: Coptic Light. From Coptic Light (Argo, 1998) with New World Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas (conductor), Krzysztof Jarosz (recording engineer). NOTE: Compsed 1985
6. [2:06:04] Outro with Bryn Harrison: Repetitions in Extended Time
Photo credits: Cergio Prudencio via Kairos Records, Morton Feldman by Philip Guston, Morton Feldman by Steven Slomana, Bryn Harrison via University of Huddersfield, Kris Davis by Peter Gannushkin, The King of Denmark by Morton Feldman, Morton Feldman and John Cage via Non Profit, Louis Andriessen by Francesca Patella, Mark Rothko by Denisova Olesya Alexandrovna, Joan La Barbara by Roberto Massoti, Tyshawn Sorey via the artist.
Flotation Device features creative and improvised music from the Northwest and around the world with host Michael Schell, Sunday nights 10pm–Midnight Pacific Time on 91.3 KBCS-FM Bellevue/Seattle/Tacoma. Visit us online at https://www.mixcloud.com/FlotationDevice