John Cage Piano Works 1935-48 Quest Two Pieces (1935) Metamorphosis ARoom Ophelia Two Pieces (1946) Ino Landscape DreamA Roort G crite. ! 7 + Fes i BE oa conta waa ea ge, Th Si ph TT TTT TET COPMRINT © 4968 BY HEMAR PRESS INC. “S75. BARK AYE So, NEW YORK, Ny. 6016PREFACE Writings about John Cage and pianos usually favor his landmark invention of the prepared piano—that radical alteration of the instrument with nuts, bolts, and screws placed in and around its strings that forever changed its persona and potential—and his magrauum opus com- posed especially for it, the Sonatas and Interludes, completed in 1948, The present volume however, comprised of pieces predating this monumental work, expands our understanding to .clude just how sensitive Cage actually was to the piano as it had been handed down. Taken together, these early pieces suggest a wide variety of answers to the question Cage must have posed when writing them: How might this instrument, so emblematic of music of the 19" century, be of interest to us now, here, well into the 20" Those answers are, of course, best gleaned by mastering the works themselves, but the barest glance at each deceptively simple page suggests some of the challenges in store: the elegant linearity of Quest (c. 1935), the refreshing (Piece J) and relentless (Piece 11) rhythms of Two Pieces for Piano (1935), the sustained energy of Metamorphosis (1938), the quiet, yet turgid construction of A Room (1943), the epic-in-miniature proportions of Ophelia (1946), the quix- otic dynamics of Two Pieces for Piano (1946), the seductive melodie peregrinations of In a Landscape (1948), and the unusually expressive, nearly narrative rubato of Dream (1948). Any one of these pieces is a meditation upon the piano, and upon the delightful complica- tions inherent in even the simplest of themes. Taken together, they form a landscape of Cage's mind as applied to composing for this most imposing of instruments, with all of the contours and shadows, secret passages, and vistas that we have come to associate with his work in any medium. Laura Kuhn, Executive Director John Cage TrustQUEST mice 2935) F RP F bo b bo E raise = ! _ gsi Se hace Et ae South, New York NY 016 Intemational Copyright Seared Al Righs RestedTWO PIECES FOR PIANO JOHN CAGE ‘ca. 1935) I Revised 1974) Slowly » Copyright © 1974 by Henmar Press ne Sole Salling Agents: CF Peers Corporation 373 Park Avenue South, New York, NY T0016, texemational Copyright Secured, All Rights Reserved.Quite fastMetamorphosis by John Cage. Autograph of first music page, courtesy of the John Cage Musie Manuscript Collection, New York Public Library for the Performing Ars.METAMORPHOSIS I JOHN CAGE on (1938) Copyright © 1961 by Henmae Press Ie Sole Seling Agents’ CF. Peers Corporation 373 Pak Avene South, Now York, N¥ 10016 lotemaional Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserveduwii14 = mf eresc. poco a pocoIEITHER YeeIla q (" alll rHa z aA Wit ee eo oror = — fFga. loco Led spd SIae fir a foo he — 2” tol Se ASeeae “Cr m fawn, fe eal i 2 be are = Or a a be I ' i} = ae = SS Cl te Pith, ij , Tt28 HI3032A ROOM Performance Notes This piece may also be performed with or without the preparations, The rhythmic structure is 2 (4, 7, 2, 5, 4, 7, 2, 3, 5). ‘The piece is the third part of “SHE IS ASLEEP.” Table of Preparations Objects may be placed between the strings of a grand piano, transforming the sounds with respect to all of their characteristics. From damper ininches strings 2-3 2 a From bridge Material in inches strings 1 -2 long bolt wea large bolt long bolt large bolt peony (der over 1,3) 2 weather stripping (over 2, under 1, 3) Material rubber (over 2, under 1, 3) bolt bolt with rubber medium bolt medium bolt34 A ROOM JOHN CAGE 0943) sempre una corda, ppp Copyright © 1968, by Henmas Press Ie Sole Selling Agen: CF Petes Corporation 373 Park Avenue Soul, New York, NY T0016 Intemational Copytiht Secured Al Rights Reserved36 OPHELIA JOHN CAGE 1946) ey Copyright © 1977 by Henmar Press In. Sole Selling Agents: CF Peers Corporation 373 Park Avenue South, Now York, NY T0018 lotemional Copyeig Secured Al Righs Reserved37739 Pidi mosso al fine ( J = 108) Z41424546is pine (Be r _ Sogee' ee adorn a : Bs 4, te . Two Pieces for Piano (1946) by John Cage. Autograph of first music page (second piece), courtesy of the John ‘Cage Music Manuscript Collection, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.*° TWO PIECES FOR PIANO dst04 I (3-5-2) JOHN CAGE tt % a 946) nw 22e re ~on ~ pr opi © 1970 by Heat Pres ling Agents: CF Petes Corpo © Sole Se ration 2373 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016 Intemational Copyright Secured. All igh Reserved.IL (2 %4-35%e-194-2)SS eS ; E lotr) bye if i we = id =e bs be a) ; np sp i u = a £ = fo} =35eis for Louise Lippold IN A LANDSCAPE for Piano or Harp Solo JOHN CAGE 948) Rhythmic structure = 15 x 15 (5.7. 3, Copysight ©1960 by Henne Press Ie Sole Seng Agents: CF Peters Corporation Pedal ‘373 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016 tuna corda Invenational Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserveded ‘poco crese.6062 dim. poco a poco636364~~ dim, poco a poco + | = play without sounding, release pedals (thus obtaining harmonies).DREAM 2 JOHN CAGE J =88 Rubato a948) Always with resonance; no silence; tones may be freely sustained, manually or with pedal, beyond notated durations sempre una corda, pp Copysight © 1960, by Henmar Press In. Sole Salling Agents: CF Peter, Corporation 5373 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016 Interniional Copyright Secure. All Rights Reserved(elsewhere free) SSS SSS SS SS whet +m < SSS SS SS SS ow swith «wees *Whithkt +3 * (and.