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John Cage. Nocturne for Violin and Piano

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.

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Participants:

Vladislav Pesin, Nikolay Mazhara