| Category: | Musical composition |
| Dated: | 1968, Champaign-Urbana, Illinois |
| Instrumentation: | 2 pianos |
| Duration: | 8'+20' |
| Premiere and performer(s): | |
| Dedicated to: | |
| Choreography: | Merce Cunningham: original title unknown |
| Published: | Eschig, Paris, France © 1984 |
| Manuscript: | Score of part II (manuscript in the hand of John Cage (photocopy) with annotations in pencil - pages 14-41. Folder 141); Score of part II (manuscript in the hand of John Cage with additions in red pencil - pages 14-42. Folder 144); List of corrections (holograph in pencil - 2 lvs. Folder 145); Score of part II (manuscript probably in the hand of Arthur Maddox (photocopy) containing emendations by John Cage in blue pen - 13+37 p. Folder 942), all in New York Public Library |
| In 1944 (or 1947, according to James Pritchett) Cage made a 2-piano arrangement of the first part of Erik Satie's 'Socrate. Drame Symphonique
en Trois Parties avec Voix'. In 1968 he arranged parts II and III too, together with Arthur Maddox. The complete arrangement was supposed
to be used as music for a dance by Merce Cunningham, but Satie's publisher did not agree. Because of this Cage wrote another composition for
the dance entitled Cheap Imitation, which is based on the the same work. The titles of the parts of the work: II. Bords d'Ilisius (Phèdre). III Mort de Socrate (Phèdon). The arrangement of all parts may be used as apart of a performance of Cage's work The first meeting of the Satie society the socie satiety (1984-85) Sources: New York Public Library online catalog; Martin Erdmann: Chronologisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Kompositionen, Schriften, Gespräche, Hörspiele, Bilder, Objekte und Filme. In: Musik-Konzepte Sonderband - John Cage II; James Pritchett: The Music of John Cage |