John Cage - Sonatas and Interludes for prepared piano [1/5]

John Cage (1912-1992)
Sonatas and Interludes for prepared piano (1946-48)

Boris Berman, piano

Sonata I 0:32
Sonata II 3:42
Sonata III 6:15
Sonata IV 8:42
First Interlude 10:48

Sonata V
Sonata VI
Sonata VII
Sonata VIII
Second Interlude

Third Interlude
Sonata IX
Sonata X
Sonata XI

Sonata XII
Fourth Interlude
Sonata XIII

Sonata XIV and XV "Gemini" (after Richard Lippold)
Sonata XVI

The American composer John Cage had a seminal influence on the American avant garde and on music throughout the world. His interests in Zen Buddhism, the I Ching and in Hinduism were reflected in his innovative and experimental music in which he extended the musical vocabulary to include elements of noise and chance.
"Sonatas and Interludes", written between 1946 and 1948, is a set of pieces for prepared piano, an instrument into which objects have been inserted - screws, bolts, plastic and rubber, to give various percussive effects. The work reflects Cages approach to the use of unusual sounds and his interest in Hinduism, with its distinction between 'white' and 'black' emotions, set around central tranquillity.

Painting: "Delaware Gap" (1958) by Franz Kline

Category:

Music

Tags:

• john
• cage
• sonatas
• interludes
• prepared
• piano
• new
• music
• experimental
• american
• avant-garde
• zen
• buddhism
• silence
• metitation

[bayreuth79]

I would be grateful if someone could explain to me why this music is supposed to be worth listening to? I am an accomplished pianist. I adore Bach, Mozart, Wagner and Stravinsky, so I am not a complete musical philistine, but I cannot see the value of this music by Cage.

[Epogdous]

@bayreuth79 There are many values in Cage's piano music. The significant breakthrough in musical performance, the search of new sonorities (the prepared piano), the innovative compositional process (the nested proportions technique), the new conceptual aesthetic linked to Zen Buddhism and anarchism... John Cage was undoubtedly a key figure in the history of twentieth-century music.

[FedericaValenzuela]

@bayreuth79 @bayreuth79 You're so disrespectful sir. SOOOO Disrespectful. How do you even dare to call this crap “music“?

And for all of the morons who pretend to understand the great profoundness of this crap, let me tell you something: You, ALL OF YOU are lying to yourselfs. Non of you actually enjoy nor understand this. Tonality and coherence go along with human nature. There's no neurological way any of you could actually understand this. Not even Cage did. It doesn't make you sound smart.

[MjoEm32]

@FedericaValenzuela

Arrogant and stupid. Arrogant because it pretends to know better than listeners themselves - and in a particularly crude manner. Stupid because the idea that what we like is determined 'neurologically' in such a simple way is totally false. A perfect fifth used to be regarded as the most fitting end to a piece. Atonal music is perfectly possible to appreciate. Stop ranting away - it's childish.

[beethoven6410]

ugh......

[avimukta1]

@FedericaValenzuela

mate ! you talkin cock now!

[avimukta1]

@bayreuth79 my question exactly

[nobodady1]

@FedericaValenzuela I do not pretend to enjoy anything. On youtube? What would be the use? But alas, you pretend to understand human nature, and the motives of those who would enjoy what you do not? And neurology, and music theory? You are the pretender.

[lilstunnawbp]

as soon as i saw "for prepared piano" i knew this would be bull shit

[Mase251]

I always find i kind of awesome if people are pushing the limits and try out new stuff - and that Cage did! Respect for that (although I would not listen to this 2 hours...)

[IainOElliott2]

I certainly understand it. For one thing, the spaces between the notes are equally as important as the notes themselves. They are like the artist Robert Rauschenberg's 'white writing'. I don't enjoy anything else by Cage, but I find these pieces very meditative. You know, sir, I don't understand the music of Bach, but I have the humility to admit it and don't put down those who do understand it. If some people are uplifted by this music and you are not, who is ahead?

[zanny151]

Very interesting...everything is there as far as structure, even some tonality, but it is all twisted due to the 'prepared' part of the piano. It's like hearing Mozart on LSD or something. Not sure that I would put it on a playlist or pay to see it performed or anything but worth checking out.

[choforito84]

Art isn´t made to be understood, is made to make people feel.