Performers
Vlad Pesin (violin)
Nikolay Mazhara (piano)
The life of John Cage spanned 80 years of the XXth century, most of it in the modern art avant-garde. He worked with outstanding artists, composers, architects, choreographers, poets and writers of his time. “I write music to hear something I have never heard before,” John Cage used to say while endlessly expanding his sonic palette. One of his inventions, the prepared piano, has already become a classic with later generations of composers. Cage considered 4’33”, “the silent piece”, his opus magnum. The work is one of the most famous pieces of XXth-century music.
Today, we are taking a listen to an early work by John Cage which he wrote at the age of 35 for the classic duo of violin and piano. From a performer’s standpoint, the piece requires incredible precision, inner freedom and the ability to bring two instrument voices as close together as possible. This impressionist miniature is a captivating nocturnal landscape that enchants the listener with its rich overtones. However, the composer only gives us 4 minutes to get immersed in the piece.