| Category: | Musical composition |
| Dated: | New York City, December 1944 - October 1945 |
| Instrumentation: | 2 Prepared pianos |
| Duration: | 20' |
| Premiere and performer(s): | December 11, 1946 (?) at the Carnegie Chamber Music Hall in New York City, performed by Maro Ajemian and William Masselos |
| Dedicated to: | --- |
| Choreography: | Merce Cunningham: Dromenon (1947) |
| Published: | Edition Peters 6760 © 1977 by Henmar Press. |
| Manuscript: | Score with table of preparations (second version) (holograph, signed, in ink - 8+61 p.);
Unidentified fragment for percussion, may be belonging to Three Dances (holograph in pencil - 4 lv.);
both in New York Public Library. Score (first version) (holograph, size unknown) in Pierpont Morgan Library, New York |
| The rhythmic structure of the dances is 2, 5, 2 - 2, 6, 2 - 2, 7, 2 (when the tempo is 88). These numbers
change when the tempo is changing, this in order not to destroy the structural proportions. It is a virtuoso piece with a climax in the stormy third dance where open keyboard sounds are mixed in with the prepared piano effects. The piano preparations are quite elaborate with around 36 notes on each piano and with a large variety of materials such as screws, pennies, rubber, plastic, weather stripping and various kinds of bolts and nuts. The piece was commissioned by and written for the piano duo Arthur Gold and Robert Fizdale. |