Presented in conjunction with Leap Before You Look:
Black Mountain College 1933–1957
Between 1949 and 1954, composers John Cage and Pierre Boulez exchanged a series of remarkable letters that are the basis for this exceptional concert featuring soloists of the renowned Paris-based Ensemble Intercontemporain. The group will perform a selection of works written during the composers’ correspondence including Boulez’s “Second Piano Sonata,” “Livre pour quatuor,” and “Douze notations,”and Cage’s “String Quartet in Four Parts,” “Six melodies for violin and keyboard,”“Music of Changes,” and “Sonatas and Interludes.” While teaching at Black Mountain College in 1952, Cage introduced students to the works of the young French composer, whom he viewed as a major figure in contemporary composition and sympathetic to his own musical developments. Many of the Cage compositions to be performed by Ensemble Intercontemporain premiered at the College and illustrate his emerging compositional practices, which he discussed at length with Boulez. Selections from the letters will be read during the concert, offering a unique look at the work and practice of these hugely influential masters.
First Republic Bank is proud to sponsor the ICA’s 2015–16 Performance Season.
