Search - John [1] Cage, Claudio Crismani :: Cage: Etudes Australes

Your ears will acquire a microscopic dexterity for particles

06/13/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Cage enjoyed the idea in the Seventies of writings purely pedogogical works from his conception,meaning the genre "etudes" but not items for the fingers in the predictable sense of an intervallic constitution. But here these vigorously conceived star-gazing etudes involve a formidable virtuosic language.Written in 1974 Cage utilized the Atlas Australis,hence the title, which is a book of maps of stars as seen from the confines of Australia. Cage placed transparent sheets over these maps,and from there transformed,translated the point loci into points,representative tones on the music staff. There are four staffs engaged,making any sight reading (even Herr Listz) virtually impossible. So work is the order of the day. There are 16 "Etudes" divided into two large books grouped into every four etudes. Each etude's length is approxomately 3 to 4 minutes the longest not being more than 5 minuntes 38 seconds. The density of the events accelerates as the work progressing toward finalization. A fascinating aspect here, for what is coldly abstract sounding music,is Cage has rubber wedges placed between the keys,so keeping some tones depressed, ones that emigrate into subsequent etudes. A drone-like sustaination is maintained. You will not find a tonality here no matter how arduously you search for one. All the cognitive fun is in repeated listenings. This will transform your hearing into one mega-organ of perception, as if your ears become a microscope of sound."