Cage: Freeman Etudes, Books 1 & 2

Albumbeschreibung

John Cage's Freeman Etudes were composed in two periods, the first part in 1977-1980, then a corresponding set in 1990; the two books were named in honor of philanthropist and supporter of modern music, Betty Freeman (1921-2010). These 16 studies for solo violin are explorations of the instrument's sonorities and silences, obsessively worked out in symmetrical relationships on small and large scales of time. The formal scheme and connections within it are impossible to detect by hearing, because the fragmentary nature of Cage's brief gestures, isolated pitches, changing attacks, and varied rests suggest random operations, and the listener is left with nothing to hold onto except the inevitability of one event following another, for as long as the performance lasts. This is taxing on one's concentration, and the extremely difficult score for the violin stretches what is conceptually possible to the point of physical impossibility. Marco Fusi plays with apparent understanding of Cage's aims, and his performance comes across as committed and earnest, even though the aloofness of the music would seem to deny such human feeling or involvement. Indeed, the Freeman Etudes test Fusi's stamina and the listener's endurance, so to that extent the reactions stimulated or provoked by the music are perhaps also intended objects of study. This work is recommended for adventurous listeners who are already familiar with Cage's strategies, or to those who enjoy the challenge of hearing music pushed to its limits.
© TiVo