Composer John Cage, the inventor of the prepared piano and an avid collector of mushrooms, is arguably most famous (or infamous) for his silent work for piano, 4'33". On this New Sounds program, we’ll listen to some of his works written for choreography. There’s his Satie-esque piece “In a landscape,” ...

In the 1930s, John Cage set about inventing a one-man percussion ensemble using what he had at hand: the piano. By putting rubber erasers, metal bolts, bits of wood and similar materials at predetermined places on the strings inside the piano, Cage completely altered the sounds that occurred when he hit the keys. The resulting "prepared piano" evoked Indonesia and West Africa instead of Central Europe. 

For this show, the fifth in the John Cage: City Circus series, hear words and music by John Cage. From an entire program of "Singing Through John Cage," recorded live at Central Park Summerstage in July of 1992, just a month before Cage died that August, vocalist Joan La Barbara performs Cage's setting of a text by e.e. cummings. Also, the Dutch ensemble The Barton Workshop, performs Cage's "Music for Six," where each player is an individual, reacting personally to pitches in a time frame and not to one another.

For this show, the fourth in the John Cage: City Circus series, listen to music from a tribute double album collection of John Cage pieces performed by friends, colleagues, and admirers called, “A Chance Operation.” Laurie Anderson tells Merce Cunningham tales, Percussionist/composer David Van Tieghem contributed “Living Room Music,” and bass player Robert Black performs a work by Larry Austin.  Plus, hear an exclusive live performance of Cage’s Suite for Toy Piano, as performed by Margaret Leng Tan. 

In the third of these special City Circus programs, listen to highlights from a "Wall to Wall Cage & Friends" concert recorded live at Symphony Space back in 1982.  There's a percussion piece by John Cage, another percussion work by Henry Cowell, as well as some unplanned readings by the composer himself.