These are works for voice and various instruments, with the voice treated as just another instrument. Joan La Barbara has long been associated with Morton Feldman, having performed many of his works (in fact, many of Feldman's works have been written with La Barbara in mind). As in all of Feldman's instrumental works, the voice, singing mostly single, sustained tones, is placed against the piano (as in Voice, Violin and Piano of 1976) or highlighted, as in Vertical Thoughts of 1965. New Albion's engineers have created an intimate atmosphere on this disc, even if the music is harrowing. --Paul Cook