Uploaded September 2011 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
"Variations" was given a first performance on April 12, 1951 at the University of Washington, Seattle, as an accompaniment to the Merce Cunningham dance piece "Variation". The score is dated March 21, 1951, and the dedication reads, "To Merce and John with deepest love for their work and above all themselves." The score was published for the first time in the 1998 Peters edition of the early piano works.
The piece begins with approximately 15 seconds of silence, which would seem to be an indication that the dancers have started their moves. For this recording I decided to "cushion" the rather sparse score with a BBC sound effect track entitled "CITY SKYLINE", ©BBC ENTERPRISES LTD 1991. In addition to providing something to occupy the ear during the many long stretches of silence, it's a kind of hommage to Luc Ferrari's "Presque Rien" pieces.
As a piece of dance music, assured that the fascinating rhythmic writing is basically ignored. We're talking cue to cue. What we have here is a "loosely strict" rhythmic interpretation, i.e. lots of fudging on the rhythm in response to the ear.Does it sound like music? Some days yes, most days no. Another reason to wish for a time machine.
Images are of paintings by Mark Rothko. Sorry, no score.
Created, edited and mastered in Digital Performer (MOTU), Ivory (Synthogy) Italian Piano soundbanks.
I've replaced an earlier upload; better thunk sounds at the end, equalization, and increased audio volume.
johncasten.com
"Variations" was given a first performance on April 12, 1951 at the University of Washington, Seattle, as an accompaniment to the Merce Cunningham dance piece "Variation". The score is dated March 21, 1951, and the dedication reads, "To Merce and John with deepest love for their work and above all themselves." The score was published for the first time in the 1998 Peters edition of the early piano works.
The piece begins with approximately 15 seconds of silence, which would seem to be an indication that the dancers have started their moves. For this recording I decided to "cushion" the rather sparse score with a BBC sound effect track entitled "CITY SKYLINE", ©BBC ENTERPRISES LTD 1991. In addition to providing something to occupy the ear during the many long stretches of silence, it's a kind of hommage to Luc Ferrari's "Presque Rien" pieces.
As a piece of dance music, assured that the fascinating rhythmic writing is basically ignored. We're talking cue to cue. What we have here is a "loosely strict" rhythmic interpretation, i.e. lots of fudging on the rhythm in response to the ear.Does it sound like music? Some days yes, most days no. Another reason to wish for a time machine.
Images are of paintings by Mark Rothko. Sorry, no score.
Created, edited and mastered in Digital Performer (MOTU), Ivory (Synthogy) Italian Piano soundbanks.
I've replaced an earlier upload; better thunk sounds at the end, equalization, and increased audio volume.
johncasten.com
