Search - Cage, Niemann, Tilles :: Double Edge: Music for 2 Pianos

A good selection of Cage

lydol4 | Tulsa, OK | 07/12/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A wonderful release for this daring piano duo. There is a wide variety of styles in Cage's music presented on this disc. The first disc, Two², is, frankly, a little to sedate for me. Actually, I'd almost call it cessile. The music seems to go nowhere (not a big suprise with Cage), but is just too slow. I am amazed the duo had the patience to learn all 30 minutes of the work! The next peice, "Ecperiences", is a short piece that greatly shows the influence of Satie. Cage deals with an interesting ideal in this peice: that silence is just as important as sound (Again, nothing new with Cage). The last pieces, "Three Dances for Two Prepared Pianos," are, in my opinion, among Cage's finest works for that medium. They have a wonderful drive, and since there are two pianos available, and therefore twice the possibilities, the sonorities and timbres are even more varied than in the Sonatas and Interludes. Overall, a wonderful collection for any Cage admirer, or a good introduction to his music in general for piano or prepared piano."