Morton Feldman – Triadic Memories (Music DVD)

 

Picture: C     Sound: B-

 

 

Mode Records issues unique music DVDs, including ones that are mostly audio with occasional video.  Triadic Memories has a non-stop 94 minutes-long work that is mostly slow piano that just cannot maintain any intensity or interest.  This is not to say it is experimental, but it does tend to go on and on.  It is in nine parts and Marilyn Nonken’s interpretation just falls flat.  She tries to explain her approach in a 20 minutes video piece, but that did not make anything clearer.  As for this being about music that constantly lives and dies, it just leaned too much towards the latter.

 

The PCM 96kHz/24 bit 2.0 Stereo is fine though, but the lack of lively music does not take full advantage of the format’s fidelity.  The sound is even worse on the interview, where the 1.33 x 1 analog NTSC video is on the soft side.  The booklet included has only brief notes in several languages, starting with English.  This is also available as 2 CDs, but you are better off with this single disc.  Only modern Classical Music fans need apply.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo