# Thoughts on John Cage, specifically prepared piano and it's place in classical music?



## Yombie (Jun 16, 2016)

John Cage was someone who always seemed to leave me awestruck and bewildered, much like one of my favorite contemporary operatic singers, meredith monk. Their wholly unexpected approaches to music always makes me feel as if I look at music too strict at times.

I was wondering what you all thought of John Cage, and the prepared piano and it's place in classical music?


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

These are among my favourite 20th century compositions for solo instruments.


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

I'm definitely in favour of prepared pianos. And Meredith Monk, too.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

These were dance pieces written for Merce Cunningham, I don't know if there are videos of them being danced to. Joanna MacGregor once said she thought they were like Scarlatti sonatas -- I don't know how perceptive or glib that comment was. There are other pieces by Cage for prepared piano apart from the interludes and sonatas including a duet for two prepared pianos, and there's an obvious connection to gamelan. 

The last time I listened to the music it was played by John Tilbury.


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

There are many beautiful and/or highly evocative works for prepared piano -- by Cage and others (George Crumb comes principally to mind). The effect depends upon "how" you prepare it, and what you do with the sounds it can produce. It was a gtreat idea.


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

If one is not prepared for John Cage's piano music, perhaps the person needs a few screws and bolts added to the listening mechanism of their brain. The prepared piano music of Cage (especially I suggest the Concerto and the Concert for Prepared Piano) and others includes some intriguing and beautiful music (and sounds). True, individual listeners may encounter some triteness, and lackluster boringness. But I think Cage appreciated such music, too. So who are we to argue?

By the way, I count as part of my CD collection the 10 volume "Complete Piano Music" of John Cage on MDG, as performed by Steffen Schleiermacher. A great collection. Three CDs (volume 1 of the set) is devoted to the Sonatas and Interludes for PP.


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

Cage told Schoenberg that he had no feeling for harmony. Harmony deals with specific pitches. Thus, Cage wrote a lot of music for percussion, and the prepared piano is essentially a percussive instrument, since the 'preparations' transform the pitches into non-specific percussive sounds.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

millionrainbows said:


> Cage told Schoenberg that he had no feeling for harmony. Harmony deals with specific pitches. Thus, Cage wrote a lot of music for percussion, and the prepared piano is essentially a percussive instrument, since the 'preparations' transform the pitches into *non-specific* percussive sounds.


I'm sure you're right, just a small question, just because I don't understand, what do you mean "non-specific"?


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## Yombie (Jun 16, 2016)

Mandryka said:


> These were dance pieces written for Merce Cunningham, I don't know if there are videos of them being danced to. Joanna MacGregor once said she thought they were like Scarlatti sonatas -- I don't know how perceptive or glib that comment was. There are other pieces by Cage for prepared piano apart from the interludes and sonatas including a duet for two prepared pianos, and there's an obvious connection to gamelan.
> 
> The last time I listened to the music it was played by John Tilbury.


I feel like I must find this....


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Yombie said:


> I feel like I must find this....


On reflection, I'm not sure if what I said was true. I know that he invented the prepared piano to provide a gamelan type accompaniment for Merce Cunningham. But I'm not sure that the published music, the sonatas etc, were intended to be danced to.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

I really enjoy the prepared piano pieces as well as many of Cage's other works. Somehow he manages to achieve interest and variety in what should have quickly become a gimmick. Still I seldom want to listen to it in one sitting any longer than I would want to listen to, for instance, harpsichord music or music for marimba. Or plain old vanilla piano for that matter.


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## SeptimalTritone (Jul 7, 2014)

I also highly recommend the sparse Varese/Webern-ish orchestral-concertante work, Concerto for Prepared Piano and Orchestra.


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

Mandryka said:


> I'm sure you're right, just a small question, just because I don't understand, what do you mean "non-specific"?


In the context of harmony and percussion, I was referring to non *pitch*-specific sounds.

As to the significance of the prepared piano, it uses one of the most tradition-bound and Western of instruments, the piano, and "subverts" it right before our ears. It's also invisible; imagine the shock, surprise, and continued bewilderment of the unsuspecting audience, when they see what appears to be a normal grand piano, and the strange sounds which emanate from it when the first key is struck. Nothing like that had ever existed before this. We must appreciate the historical significance of this, and when it happened.


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## Yombie (Jun 16, 2016)

millionrainbows said:


> In the context of harmony and percussion, I was referring to non *pitch*-specific sounds.
> 
> As to the significance of the prepared piano, it uses one of the most tradition-bound and Western of instruments, the piano, and "subverts" it right before our ears. It's also invisible; imagine the shock, surprise, and continued bewilderment of the unsuspecting audience, when they see what appears to be a normal grand piano, and the strange sounds which emanate from it when the first key is struck. Nothing like that had ever existed before this. We must appreciate the historical significance of this, and when it happened.


I think you've captured the exact reason why I'm so intrigued about his music. It's definitely a challenging listening experience, but rewards the listener with "melody?" that seems to erupt out of sheer chaos at times. It's definitely significant, but I suppose I hadn't truly understood why until you put it in those words.


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