| Category: | Musical composition |
| Dated: | New York City, May - August, 1944 |
| Instrumentation: | Two prepared pianos |
| Duration: | 30' |
| Premiere and performer(s): | January 21, 1945 at the New School for Social Research in New York, performed by Robert Fizdale and Arthur Gold. |
| Dedicated to: | for Robert Fizdale and Arthur Gold |
| Choreography: | ---- |
| Published: | Edition Peters 6702 © 1960 by Henmar Press |
| Manuscript: | Score (holograph, signed, in ink - 7+67 p.); score (holograph, signed, in ink - 48 p.), both in New York Public Library |
| Book of Music is a work in 2 parts. Part I lasts about 12 minutes, part II 18 minutes. It is a large-scale
viruoso concert piece. Each of the 2 parts is subdivided into several smaller sections. Part I, in 4 short movements (I - IV), has
a rhythmic structure of 2-7-2-3 and 2-7-2-3-3 and a tempo of 66. Part II is longer and more complex and has 3 major sections
(V, VI and IX) in a tempo of 176. Here the rhythmic structure is 5-21-5-7 and 5-21-5-7-7. The second and third sections of part II
are interrupted by five short movements (VIIa, VIIb, VIIIa, VIIIb and VIIIc) for alternating solo keyboards and have a slower
tempo (132). The notation is conventional and the preparations are relatively elaborate. The expression concerns both personal and musical feelings. |