Sabine Liebner | Morton Feldman 100 | Triadic Memories

Morton Feldman (1926–1987) is considered one of the most important and influential composers of the 20th century. To mark the centennial of his birth, pianist Sabine Liebner will perform works from Morton Feldman’s oeuvre for solo piano as part of the festival “Morton Feldman 100.”

The festival opens on October 23, 2026, at Museum Brandhorst with a performance of Morton Feldman’s Triadic Memories. The work was inspired by a series of paintings the composer saw in Cy Twombly’s studio in Rome in 1977. Twombly’s characteristic smearing of paint inspired Feldman to create a new timbral quality by sustaining the piano’s pedal throughout, allowing the strings adjacent to those being struck to resonate as well, creating a kind of “smudged” sound. Numerous works by Cy Twombly, including the monumental cycle dedicated to the Battle of Lepanto, are on view at Museum Brandhorst. The recital will take place in Cy Twombly Roses Gallery, creating a particularly vivid connection between Feldman’s music and visual arts.

Triadic Memories (1981) 

“Probably the biggest butterfly ever captured.” Morton Feldman

Composed in 1981, this piano work, which lasts more than two hours, is one of the longest and most important compositions of Feldman’s late period. Triadic Memories explores the idea of musical memory in the act of composition. Through the piano’s transparent sound, musical memory shapes the piece in a direct, uncensored reflection of everyday writing.

Feldman remained true to the principle he developed in the 1950s, “Free the sounds,” which he further cultivated in the remarkable works of his later years by challenging listeners to engage with extended pieces with unwavering concentration. These works develop a musical memory attuned to sound and open up an unexpected space for subtle distinctions and nuances.

After Walter Zimmermann, Beginner Press

Sabine Liebner 

Sabine Liebner, an internationally acclaimed pianist specializing in contemporary music, is regarded as one of the foremost interpreters of the piano works of John Cage and Morton Feldman. She has recorded Feldman’s complete oeuvre for solo piano.

Sabine Liebner’s extensive discography, radio recordings, and invitations to international festivals attest to her exceptional artistic work, which has received numerous accolades, including WIRE REWIND, fff TÉLÉRAMA, scherzo Disco Excepcional, and recognition from The New York Times, The Guardian, the BBC, and the Goethe-Institut. She has also been nominated multiple times for the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik and OPUS Klassik.

The concert will run without an intermission.

As part of

Festival Morton Feldman 100: some hours with morty

Further dates 

Friday, November 6, 2026 | schwere reiter Munich

Saturday, November 7, 2026 | schwere reiter Munich

In cooperation with 

scope – Spielraum für aktuelle Musik

Supported by 

Unitel Musikstiftung