I am so honored to have received this historic collectible as a gift from a dear friend. This is a promotional copy of the new recording of Nurit Tilles' superlative performance of John Cage's classic
Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano (1946-1948), commissioned in honor of Cage's Centenary and produced in conjunction with the John Cage Trust. Commercial copies of this deluxe 3LP audiophile set were limited, (befittingly) to just 433 copies worldwide.
The performance was recorded March 21 - 23, 2011 on a Steinway Model-D Piano at The Fisher Center For The Performing Arts at Bard College under the supervision of creative directors Donna Wingate and Naomi Yang for the John Cage Trust. The set was released on September 5, 2012. Most critics agree that
Sonatas and Interludes is the finest composition of Cage's early period – his magnum opus for prepared piano, and this release serves as the definitive archival audiophile edition for collectors and lovers of Cage's work.
The set includes a handsome heavy hard-shell slipcase containing a custom 10-page gatefold sleeve with metallic foil stamps and imprints, archival material, a 40-page color companion book with an introduction by Anthony B. Creamer III, as well as photographs and essays by Mark Swed and James Pritchett. The discs are pressed on 200-gram vinyl with archival audio at 45RPM. The packaging is exquisite and thoughtful and the set is a wonderful celebration of Cage's 100th anniversary.
The John Cage Trust was established in 1993 as a not-for-profit institution whose mission is to gather together, organize, preserve, disseminate, and generally further the work of the late American composer. It maintains sizeable collections of music, text, and visual art manuscripts. The Trust also houses extensive audio, video, and print libraries, which are continually expanding, including two piano preparation kits created and used by Cage for this composition, as well as a substantial permanent collection of his visual art works, which are made available for exhibitions worldwide. Save for a 2011 CD recording of Cage's 1989 performance at Skywalker Ranch in Nicasio, California titled,
“How To Get Started,” this is the Trust's lone public audio release.
From the official press statement:
Quote:
"If the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 marked the end of the 19th century, then John Cage's birth that year represented the start of a new one, musically speaking. Cage created hundreds of works and to my ears Sonatas and Interludes is one, more than any other, that will stand the test of time. Like a Merce Cunningham dance, there is something new to experience with each encounter of this magnificent piece. By my count, there are over 20 recordings of Sonatas and Interludes with each performer (and production and engineering team) bringing something new to the realization. However, this is the first recording of this seminal piece ever presented in a 45 rpm format for the audiophile. It is my hope that listeners will marvel at the breathtaking sonics of the recording, but more than that -- the superlative performance by Nurit Tilles. When Laura Kuhn and I first discussed this project we immediately locked on Nurit. Her preparation and playing is nothing short of magnificent. And as wonderful is her playing, Nurit's beautiful spirit comes through with verve in these grooves. A noted filmmaker said there is no history, only historians. This recording is historic."
- Anthony B. Creamer III (Executive Producer of the set)
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Creamer contributed to a discussion about the set on the Steve Hoffman forums where he remarked, “If you have first class playback equipment you will think there is a piano in the room.” His claim is no exaggeration. The care that went into the recording and mastering of this set is top notch and fitting for an archival work such as this. Forum user ScottM praised the quality of the extreme fidelity and wide dynamics of the release.
As Creamer mentions above,
Sonatas and Interludes is likely the most recorded work in the Cage edifice. As such a listener might ask why we need another recording of these works? Amazon Vine Voice member, Scarecrow notes that each performer brings their own emotive world to these pieces. And the magnificent attention toward sonic quality and archival production makes this an unparalleled and definitive edition for Cage collectors.
For musicians interested in faithfully performing
Sonatas & Interludes, Jesse Myers' Piano Studio website offers a
comprehensive performer's guide to the prepared piano for this piece.
John Cage
Sonatas And Interludes - Nurit Tilles Track Listing:
LP1
1. Sonata I
2. Sonata II
3. Sonata III
4. Sonata IV
5. First Interlude
6. Sonata V
7. Sonata VI
8. Sonata VII
LP2
1. Sonata VIII
2. Second Interlude
3. Third Interlude
4. Sonata IX
5. Sonata X
6. Sonata XI
LP3
1. Sonata XII
2. Fourth Interlude
3. Sonata XIII
4. Sonata XIV and XV Gemini (after the work by Richard Lippold)
5. Sonata XVI
Packaging fetishists will also enjoy this black-gloved unboxing feature produced by Acoustic Sounds in Salina, KS for the city's own Quality Record Pressings who produced the LPs for this set.
I have two other vinyl recordings of
Sonatas & Interludes in my library. The first was pressed in 1977 on Tomato Records and packaged with
A Book Of Music (First Recording). The recording is of Joshua Pierce's performance from July 26 & 27, 1975 on a Baldwin piano.
The second is featured on side B of disc 1 of
The 25-Year Retrospective Concert Of The Music Of John Cage, recorded in performance at Town Hall, New York, May 15, 1958 issued by Italy's Doxy label.
But unequivocally, this promotional copy of the John Cage Trust edition instantly became my favorite Cage artifact. It will be treasured and enjoyed for years to come.
A very special thank you to my dear friend for this generous and thoughtful gift!
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