Sonatas and Interludes (1948)

The Sonatas and Interludes are Cage's prepared piano masterwork. Much has been written about it, and in just about any article or book about the composer. The list of available CD recordings amounts to 14 at the time of this writing (December 2000). In this composition, Cage expresses his interpretation of the permanent emotions of Indian tradition: the Heroic, the Erotic, the Wondrous, the Comic (the four light moods), Sorrow, Fear, Anger, the Odious (the four dark moods), and their common tendency toward (central) Tranquility. This was Cage's first composition using Hindu philosophy as a basis, and he composed the Sonatas and Interludes in a period of time during which he was reading extensively the works of the Indian art historian and critic Ananda K. Coomaraswamy. Sonatas I through VIII and XII through XVI are written in AABB rhythmic structure, using varying proportions. The first two interludes have no structural repetitions, while the last two interludes as well as Sonatas IX, X and XI have prelude, interlude, and postlude. In his book The Music of John Cage, James Pritchett gives a very thorough structural analysis. The order of the Sonatas and Interludes is as follows: Sonatas I-IV; First Interlude; Sonatas V-VIII; Second Interlude; Third Interlude; Sonatas IX-XII, Fourth Interlude; Sonatas XIII-XVI. Sonatas XIV and XV are paired together under the name "Gemini - after the work of Richard Lippold" (an American sculptor). The preparation of the piano is quite elaborate and takes between 2 to 3 hours to complete. A total of 45 notes are prepared, mainly with screws and bolts, but also 15 pieces of rubber, 4 pieces of plastic, 6 nuts, and one eraser. In more recent years there has been a tendency to perform this work on a smaller piano, instead of a concert grand. The rationale for this may be justified, in the sense that Cage probably wrote the work on his own, smaller piano.