John Cage (1912–92) is regarded as one of the most influential and controversial composers of the 20th century. It is not only his music that this reputation is based on – his ideas were revolutionary, and he cast doubt on the supremacy of European art and music, when it was unchallenged and such views were considered heretic. Cage rejected the status held by harmony, instrumentation and even the development of music from one point to another. He disconnected harmony from rhythm to liberate western music from its hitherto privileged hierarchies – iconoclastic stuff for 1940s America!

Cage studied with Schoenberg in Los Angeles and, although he adopted the 12-tone technique, he abandoned Schoenberg’s expressionist style.

Cage was also influenced by the maverick composer Erik Satie. Satie had also ridiculed the musical establishment, and Cage arranged Satie’s longest work Socrate (a monodrama for piano and voice) for two pianos. It is worth mentioning that Cage’s favourite Satie composition was Vexations, a short work for piano, with instructions that it may be performed 840 times without pause or change.

Recording made in 2009.

Contents:
CD 1 [69’20]
- Three Easy Pieces (1933)
- Quest (1935)
- Metamorphosis (1938)
- Jazz study (1942)
- Tripled paced (first version, 1943)
- Ad lib (1943)
- Soliloquy (1945)
- Ophelia (1946)
- Two pieces (1946)
- In a landscape (1948)
- Dream (1948): Suite for toy piano (version for piano, 1948)
- Seven Haiku (1951)
- For M.C. and D.T. (1952)
- Waiting (1952)
Giancarlo Simonacci (piano)

CD 2 [60’17]
Erik Satie: Socrate - Drame symphonique en trois parties (Transcription for two pianos by Cage)
Gabriella Morelli (piano), Giancarlo Simonacci (piano)

- Cheap Imitation (1969)
Giancarlo Simonacci (piano)

CD 3 67’37
- Etudes Boreales (1978)
Solo piano
1 I.
2 II.
3 III.
4 IV.
Solo cello
5 I.
6 II.
7 III.
8 IV.
Cello and piano
9 I.
10 II.
11 III.
12 IV.
Marco Simonacci (cello), Giancarlo Simonacci (piano)
Dedicated to the memory of Gian Andrea Lodovici
Recording: June 2009, Fazioli Hall, Sacile, Italy