"Earlier in my life there seemed to be unlimited possibilities, but my mind was closed. Now, years later and with an open mind, possibilities no longer interest me. I seem content to be continually rearranging the same furniture in the same room. My concern at times is nothing more than establishing a series of practical conditions that will enable me to work. For years I said if I could only find a comfortable chair I would rival Mozart."
“There’s an aspect of my attitude about being a composer that is like mourning. Say, for example, the death of art . . . something that has to do with, say, Schubert leaving me.” He also admitted, “I must say, you did bring up something that I particularly don’t want to talk about publicly, but I do talk privately.”
Both quotations via Alex Ross. Thanks.
If Ross is quoting from the same German book I remember reading 15 years ago, we should be wary of the transcription of Feldman's remarks -- it was very poorly proofread. So he might have said, for example, "don't particularly" instead of "particularly don't", changing the emphasis.
In any case, the quotations are tempting, but I've never heard this piece of music as sad in the sense they imply. Slow, spare and lovely -- at a midpoint between the aphoristic early work and the ungodly long late work. "Madame Press Died Last Week at Ninety" is such another; also "Neither".
Hi Vance-
I'm very curious about this book you speak of. Feldman was American. I wasn't aware that he spoke German (though it seems more than possible). It does seems odd, however, that Ross would quote from a book that translated took his words from English to German and back again. Is that what you're saying happened here? Do you recall the title of the book?
-Alec
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No, this was a book on Feldman, with lots of transcribed talk, compiled by Germans. Looking at the Berkeley catalog now, I think it was probably this. Whatever it was, the transcription was English to English but mediated seemingly by scribes of another culture.