John Cage - Sonatas And Interludes

Sonatas and Interludes for prepared piano (1946-48); Nurit Tilles, pianist

First recording of American composer John Cage's seminal piece ever cut at 45 RPM

Deluxe three LP box set limited to 433 numbered copies; pressed on 200-gram vinyl at Quality Record Pressings

Includes archival material, plus a 40-page color book with essays, and a slipcase cover

Mastered by Kevin Gray, Recording Engineer Andreas Meyer, Creative Direction Donna Wingate and Naomi Young, Photography by Chad Kleitsch

John Milton Cage Jr. (Sept. 5, 1912 — Aug. 12, 1992) was an American composer, music theorist, writer, artist — and an inveterate tinkerer who pioneered the "prepared piano" — a piano with its sound altered by objects placed between or on its strings or hammers. He wrote numerous dance related works and a few concert pieces — the best known of these is Sonatas and Interludes. Time magazine ran a profile of Cage after the premiere of Sonatas and Interludes at New York's Carnegie Hall in January 1949 titled "Music: Sonata for a Bolt and a Screw."

In short, Cage, partly through his non-standard use of musical instruments, became lauded as one of the most influential American composers of the 20th Century and one of the leading figures of the post war avant-garde movement. The release of this limited edition (433 numbered copies) is meant to honor John Cage's 100th birthday, produced in conjunction with the John Cage Trust.

Although there have been more than two dozen previous recordings of Sonatas and Interludes by various performers, this is the first time Cage's seminal piece has been presented in a 45 RPM, three LP format, pressed on 200-gram vinyl at Quality Record Pressings in Salina, Kansas.

Leading American fine art photographer Chad Kleitsch photographed the archival materials incorporated in the design of the glossy 3-pocket gatefold jacket and slipcase. The back inside cover holds a tray that contains the 40-page color book, featuring a compilation of essays: "How the Piano Came to Be Prepared," by John Cage, and an introduction by Anthony B. Creamer III, as well as essays by Mark Swed and James Pritchett.

The performer on the record, Nurit Tilles, is an American pianist who has been described by the Village Voice as "one of new music's most valuable pianists." She has performed with Steve Reich & Musicians since 1975, was a member of The Mother Mallard Band and has enjoyed a long association with Meredith Monk.

"It is my hope that listeners will marvel at the breathtaking sonics of the recording, but more than that — the superlative performance by Nurit Tilles ... her preparation and playing is nothing short of magnificent. And as wonderful is her playing, Nurit's beautiful spirit comes through with verve in these grooves. A noted filmmaker said there is no history, only historians. This recording is historic," says Creamer.