Morton Feldman's composing style started to change in the middle of the 1970s. While the delicacy, quiet dynamics, dissonance, and constantly evolving textures that were his music's hallmarks remained intact, in the last decade or so of his life he moved toward larger-scale works in which repetition—sometimes literal, sometimes slightly varied rhythmically, melodically, or harmonically—played an increasing role. In the essay Crippled Symmetry, which shares its title with one of those later compositions, Feldman refers to Spring of Chosroes in describing musical patterns or ideas that are "complete" in themselves and don't call for normal musical development, only for "extension." Even in a comparatively short work like the 15-minute Spring of Chosroes, this increased repetition and sense of scale is evident.

Spring of Chosroes was written in 1978 and given its premiere on April 26, 1980, in New York City. The program note for that first performance alludes to a carpet—made out of wool, silk, and silver and adorned with jewels—supposedly owned by the renowned Persian king Chosroes (or Khosrau I) of the Sassanid dynasty (reigned 531 - 579). Feldman had a long-standing fascination with textiles, and their features informed many of his compositions. Spring of Chosroes is, as is so often the case with Feldman's compositions, predominantly quiet. Short phrases are tentatively stated, then repeated several times before the next figure emerges. The piano's long, ringing chords support the violin's delicate harmonics and multiple stops, and a sense of stasis is established. Toward the end of the work a descending pattern of notes from the violin takes over, and in the fragile coda the violin ascends in a series of very high harmonics.

© All Music Guide