I discussed Triadic Memories, the longest yet arguably most accessible of Morton Feldman’s late piano works, in my review of Sabine Leibner’s recording (type Q9036 in Search Reviews). In contrast to Leibner’s spacious deliberation over the course of 124 minutes, Steffen Schleiermacher clocks in at almost 81 minutes–generous playing time for a single CD. His faster pace allows the sparse textures to accumulate in a way that suggests contrapuntal motion between single notes in separate registers. MDG’s distant ambience may not match the sonic warmth and clean detail of my two reference editions, but the peculiar timbral differentiation of the piano used for this recording offers unique nuances and colors, most tellingly with repeated phrases in the middle of the keyboard. Certainly Schleiermacher’s focused, committed interpretation bodes well for future volumes in his projected cycle devoted to Feldman’s late piano works.
