Morton Feldman: Rothko Chapel (a musical interpretation of a unique place of faith)

Rothko Chapel, the centerpiece of the concert, was commissioned for and premiered at the titular chapel in Houston, Texas in 1972. It is a place for “people of all faiths or none,” and home to 14 monumental paintings by the abstract expressionist painter Mark Rothko, Feldman’s close friend.

Feldman composed his musical interpretation of the chapel– for soprano, alto, mixed chorus, celesta, percussion, and viola–for a unique venue and its inimitable vast paintings that inspired the sound world we hear. Coming to this ecumenical place, people of all walks of life can think, grieve, heal, and be transformed, mostly in silence, by the space and Rothko’s paintings.

Additional pieces complement this masterwork and encompass various themes and emotions the chapel provokes: Abbie Betinis, Cedit, Hyems; Jocelyn Hagen, Ophelia; Dominick DiOrio, All Is; W.A. Mozart, Misericordia Domini K.222.