Cage
Seventy-four, for orchestra (1992)American Composers’ Orchestra
Dennis Russell Davies, dir.This is one of Cage’s last works and a part of his late, very large “Numbers” series in which each piece is named for the number of performers involved. It was premiered at Carnegie Hall shortly after his death.
From the performance instructions: “Orchestral parts without score to be played by coordination with video clock without conductor. Single notes in flexible time-brackets…There should be the usual imperfection of tuning perhaps slightly exaggerated so that the music is microtonal.” There are only two parts, one for high instruments and one for low instruments. The result is a serenely enveloping, freeform soundscape of great interest.
(Jasper Johns | Crosshatch)
