JOHN CAGE : The Works for Piano 4

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Format: CD [mode106]
Shipping Weight: 0.1lbs
Label: Mode

2,680円

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'Until recently at C.F. Peters, Cage’s publisher in New York, there was a box of works which Cage had held off publishing or had simply forgotten about. Among them were the dance pieces, Triple-Paced and Ad Lib, Jazz Study, and the film score Works of Calder – all composed between 1942 and 1950. At Peters’ request, Margaret Leng Tan was enlisted to edit these works as part of a new volume of Cage’s piano pieces; they have been recorded here in conjunction with that publication.
Of great interest among these is Cage’s score for the film Works of Calder. Actor Burgess Meredith produced and narrated this documentary by Swiss filmmaker Herbert Matter on the artist Alexander Calder. Cage’s fluid prepared piano score is a major discovery, requiring an extensive preparation comparable in complexity to that of the Sonatas and Interludes. Composed in three-parts, Works of Calder‘s two outer movements are newly recorded by Ms. Tan. The middle section is taken directly from the original soundtrack as Cage composed and performed it – a percussion interlude enhanced by discreet electronic effects; and is presented here in its entirety.
Cage wrote One2 for Ms. Tan, who worked directly with him on the conception of the piece. It is to be performed by one player on one to four pianos; three are used here. The damper pedals of all the pianos are wedged so that the strings vibrate freely throughout the piece. The pianos become, in effect, sound sculptures where sustained resonances coalesce and gradually disappear. The result is an extraordinary sonic landscape, and a unique work in Cage’s oeuvre.'

Tracklist
1 Triple-Paced (First Version) 1:07
2 Triple-Paced (First Version) 1:01
3 Triple-Paced (First Version) 0:45
4 Triple-Paced (Second Version) 2:04
5 Totem Ancestor 1:55
6 Ad Lib 3:14
7 Jazz Study 3:03
8 Music For Marcel Duchamp 5:45
Works Of Calder
9 I: Prepared Piano 5:05
10 II: Film Soundtrack With Narration 3:09
Narrator – Burgess Meredith
Percussion – John Cage
11 III: Film Soundtrack With Percussion 2:19
Narrator – Burgess Meredith
Percussion – John Cage
12 IV: Prepared Piano 10:37
13 One² 18:51

Credits
Art Direction – Brian Brandt
Composed By – John Cage
Engineer, Edited By – David Walters
Liner Notes – Margaret Leng Tan
Liner Notes [French Translation] – Martine Jore
Liner Notes [German Translation] – Sabine Feißt
Photography By [Ms. Tan] – Michael Dames
Photography By [Photo Of Ms. Tan With John Cage] – Evans Chan
Piano – Margaret Leng Tan (tracks: 1 to 9, 12 to 13)
Producer – Brian Brandt
Technician [Piano Technician] – Wilhelm Gertz (tracks: 1 to 7, 13)

Notes
Triple-Paced (1943) first version, piano
Triple-Paced (1944) second version, piano
Totem Ancestor (1942) prepared piano
Ad Lib (1943) piano
Jazz Study (1942) piano
Music for Marcel Duchamp (1947) prepared piano
Works of Calder (1949-1950) prepared piano - first recording
One² (1989) 1-4 pianos, 1 performer, written for Ms. Tan
Works of Calder and Music for Marcel Duchamp were recorded at the Walter Reade Theater, Lincoln Center, New York, on April 4, 1999. The remaining works on the album were recorded in Crowell Concert Hall, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, on August 5 and 6, 2001. The soundtrack to the film "Works of Calder" was also recorded at The Walter Read Theatre.
Pianos: Steinway Model D
24-page booklet includes liner notes in English, German and French.