Programs

John Cage: Etudes Australes

"A sizzling, virtuosic performance of the angular 'Études Australes, No. 1.'" - Allan Kozinn, The New York Times

"Extraordinary Etudes Australes. A shame that the copies of the score weren’t passed out to this most sophisticated audience. Two staves for each hand (and no cheating!). No bar lines, choices of holding down notes as long as possible beyond the succeeding short notes, and complexities which can only be indicated, not written down. Next to the other works on the program, this was dangerous music, yet serious music as well. If we didn’t know the inner workings, Mr. Kagawa made the sound patterns and explosive piano and forte changes into an eccentric necklace, its irregular pendants suspended and aimless, glowing, twinging, jigging, dead and resurrected, all within micro-seconds of each other. Mr. Kigawa played each Etude not only with intensity, but giving an unavoidable quantum logic to every successive note." - Harry Rolnick, Concert.Net