Morton Feldman Interviewed by Charles Shere, July, 1967

Recording Date: 7/1/1967

This wide ranging, literate, and always fascinating conversation between composer Morton Feldman and writer/composer/journalist (and former KPFA music director) Charles Shere touches on the work of various composers, performers, artists, and writers. Feldman talks about ways of composing, including his own, and to what degree a composer is "on the make" with regard to his audience.

The composers Feldman and Shere discuss include John Cage, Christian Wolff, Arnold Schoenberg, Anton Webern, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Olivier Messiaen, Pierre Boulez, Luciano Berio, and Milton Babbitt. Surprisingly, Feldman admits to admiring Babbitt, and wishes that he himself could write serialized music freehand, like Babbitt.

Is it true that music will always have a great past, but never a great future? Is Feldman's music limited because he doesn't believe in Hegel? Discover the answers in this fascinating conversation.