| Category: | Musical composition |
| Dated: | 1946 |
| Instrumentation: | Piano |
| Duration: | |
| Premiere and performer(s): | May 12, 1946 |
| Dedicated to: | |
| Choreography: | Merce Cunningham: The Encounter (1946) |
| Published: | --- |
| Manuscript: | Score (holograph, signed, in pencil - 10 p.) in New York Public Library |
| Unfinished work. It contains 4 movements, the last of which is incomplete. Steffen Schleiermacher sent me this comment,
which he received from the New York Public Library: "The title page of Encounter indicates (in parentheses) that it is a suite for piano. Other writing in Cage's hand indicates some relationship to the "Prelude for Six Instruments" (i.e. Prelude in A minor for six instruments). Additional notations on the title page suggest that Encounter might have been the last of a group of six other works. The first work of Enconter (numbered "I") is two pages long and is written in pencil. The first page continues on to the verso of the title page (i.e. in reverse order of pages). The music contains numerous erasures indicating an earlier state of the work which contained much a thicker density of music. The density and variety of these annotations suggests that Cage might have thought to rework the piece for an ensemble, as the resulting music resembles a short score of a chamber work. There are a few measures where the original music would have been nearly unplayable by a single pianist due to extremity of range. The second work (numbered "II") contains only a few erasures, but ones that are similar in that they seem to be indicating additional music, possibly played by other instruments. In contrast to number "I," this second piece is of much lighter density of music. The third work (numbered "III") lasts for two pages and is similar in appearance to "II." The final portion of the manuscript contains an unnumbered work. Cage has written the direction "3 times" above the first staff line. The scarce texture and the prevalence of rests, including multi-measure rests, suggests that this work might be a piano part for an chamber work. With significant editing, it might be possible to play the first three works." Sources: Paul van Emmerik: Thema's en Variaties; New York Public Library online catalog; Steffen Schleiermacher |