Preserving the Sacrosanct: Morton Feldman 1. Feldman was an associate of Cage who competed with him in the search for aesthetic autonomy. 2. Cage’s music required a meticulous and demanding methodology. 3. Feldman’s was more abstract from the beginning. 4. Some of Feldman’s pieces are quite long, the result of which is a special aesthetic experience. a. His music is associated with the artwork of Mark Rothko.