KPFA-FM Music Dept. ➔ John Cage: Three Dances for Two Pianos (Mills College, 1973)

Analog Audio

Event Type

Music

Origin

KPFA

Identifier

P.CAG.JOH.05.c2

Program Length

25 min

Dates

1973-03-11 | created
| 1973-05-01 | broadcast

Description

This piece, for two prepared piano, is described in the Cage Catalogue published by Peters Edition as follows: "Three Dances is written in the rhythmic structure 252; 262; 2,7,2 when the tempo is 88. These numbers change when the tempo changes, an attempt having been made to maintain actual time proportions. The notation is conventional and the piano preparations are more elaborate than in "A Book of Music". The expression is physical and moves with simplicity to complexity. This piece was written especially for virtuosos."

Three Dances was premiered on January 21, 1945 at the New School for Social Research in NYC by Robert Fizdale and Arthur Gold. It was later performed at Carnegie Hall on December 10th and 11th, 1946 by Maro Ajemian and William Masselos. Merce Cunningham composed the dance "Dromenon" to the piece and the first performance took place on December 14, 1947, at Hunter College Playhouse in NYC with Ajemian and Masselos at the pianos.

The performance heard here is by two Mills College students: Peggy Gorham and Rae Imamura. It was recorded March 11, 1973, at Mills College Auditorium.

[Notes taken from the original tape reel box.]

Genres

20th century classical
New music

Musical Selections

Three Dances, for two prepared pianos (1945) (24:55) / John Cage

Performers

Rae Imamura, prepared piano
Peggy Gorham, prepared piano

Subjects

20th century classical
New music
Piano music (Pianos (2))
Prepared piano music
Dance music

Related places

Oakland (Calif.) (was recorded at)
Berkeley (Calif.) (was broadcast at)

Related Entities

Cage, John
Mills College
Imamura, Rae
Gorham, Peggy