The 'Energetic Classical' thread inspired me to post one about Feldman, who perhaps embodies the very antithesis of the inspiration behind that topic.
Loving Morton Feldman is a wonderful thing because aside from his music being "almost too beautiful" as John Cage described it, you get a ton of it (for example, his second string quartet can last over 6 hours) and through listening to his music, you learn to appreciate the notes. "The greatest music has the most tenuous notes," as he put it. He was minimalist, but not in the same sense as Philip Glass or Steve Reich, instead being minimal in his material. Both with the instruments he used ('For Philip Guston' lasts over 4 hours, but is scored simply for piano, flute, and percussion) and the music (he was fascinated by Persian rugs; the slight variations rippling through intricate patterns)
One could either regard Feldman as the most boring composer to have ever lived, or the greatest. Either way, he stands tall as one of the foremost American artists of the 20th century and in my opinion, deserves every bit of attention he could receive.
Any Feldman lovers here?