| Numinous The Music of Joseph C. Phillips Jr. |
Madame Press Never Had to Holler At Morty (2000)
Madame Press Never Had to Holler at Morty (2000)
10 minutes
American composer, Morton Feldman (1926-1987) wrote a piece for his former piano teacher entitled Madame Press Died Last Week At Ninety (1970). In that piece, which I first heard on John Adams’ 1991 recording American Elegies (Nonesuch 79249-2), Morton Feldman’s typically soft and subtle shifts of sonorities and colors are there, but the piece also features, atypically for Feldman, a reacurring motive (a downward major third)-one of the first of his pieces to feature repetition.
In my composition, as a starting point, I took Madame Press Died Last Week At Ninety and a quote from Feldman’s Essays (1985) speaking about how Madame Press was not a disciplinarian. Then asking myself what would happen if Morton Feldman listened to too much 70’s funk and soul (by way of 1996’s "Makes Me Wanna Holler" by Me’Shell Ndegéocello) and brought that to his lessons with Madame Press-would she would still not be a disciplinarian?
- Original version: 3 woodwinds, Trumpet, Trombone, Vibraphone, Marimba (or Guitar or Harp), Piano, Percussion, 2 violins, 2 Cellos, Bass (substitute parts available for woodwinds)
- Trio version: Tenor Saxophone, Electric Guitar, Piano
- Jazz Ensemble version
10 minutes
American composer, Morton Feldman (1926-1987) wrote a piece for his former piano teacher entitled Madame Press Died Last Week At Ninety (1970). In that piece, which I first heard on John Adams’ 1991 recording American Elegies (Nonesuch 79249-2), Morton Feldman’s typically soft and subtle shifts of sonorities and colors are there, but the piece also features, atypically for Feldman, a reacurring motive (a downward major third)-one of the first of his pieces to feature repetition.
In my composition, as a starting point, I took Madame Press Died Last Week At Ninety and a quote from Feldman’s Essays (1985) speaking about how Madame Press was not a disciplinarian. Then asking myself what would happen if Morton Feldman listened to too much 70’s funk and soul (by way of 1996’s "Makes Me Wanna Holler" by Me’Shell Ndegéocello) and brought that to his lessons with Madame Press-would she would still not be a disciplinarian?
Thanks and credit to all the original photos on this website to: David Andrako, Concrete Temple Theatre, Marcy Begian, Ed Lefkowicz, Donald Martinez, Kimberly McCollum, Geoff Ogle, Joseph C. Phillips Jr., Daniel Wolf-courtesy of Roulette, Andrew Robertson, Viscena Photography, Jennifer Wohrle, Carolyn Wolf, Mark Elzey, Numinosito. The Numinous Changing Same album design artwork by DM Stith. The Numinous The Grey Land album design and artwork by Brock Lefferts. Contact for photo credit and information on specific images.