| Category: | Musical composition |
| Dated: | Davis, California - New York City, December 1969. (Finished on December 14, 1969 in New York City) |
| Instrumentation: | Piano solo |
| Duration: | 35' |
| Premiere and performer(s): | January 9, 1970 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York City, as an accompaniment to the dance by Merce Cunningham |
| Dedicated to: | |
| Choreography: | Merce Cunningham: Second Hand (1970) |
| Published: | Edition Peters 6805 © 1970 by Henmar Press |
| Manuscript: | Worksheets and sketches (29 leaves) at the Library of Congress in Washington; Sketch (holograph in ink - 2 p.); Score (composer's copy with markings in red pencil and black and blue ink, relating to the orchestral version - 16 p.), both in New York Public Library |
| In 1969 Cage made a 2 piano arrangement of the third movement of 'Socrate' by Erik Satie, to accompany
the Cunningham dance. In 1947 he already arranged the first two movements. Because of copyright problems he had to make
a new composition, but, since the dance was already choreographed, he had to follow the same phrase structure of the
original work. Cage used the original, transposed part of the notes, using I-Ching operations. Dynamics were alsio changed
and are independant of 'Socrate'. Cheap Imitation is a composition with one single melodic line, in three movements. The notation is conventional. In 1972 and 1977 Cage made 2 other arrangements (for orchestra and for violin). |