Etudes Boreales I–IV (version for cello)

About this piece

Four études for cello (and/or piano; the two sets were composed independently and may be played separately or together) written in 1978 for the cellist Jack Kirstein and pianist Jeanne Kirstein. The cello parts were composed by chance operations, with every aspect of each sound fixed in the score, while the piano parts use star charts from Bečvář's Atlas Borealis to decide where on the instrument (keys, frame, strings) to play. The Kirsteins declared them unplayable; Frances-Marie Uitti gave the cello premiere in 1981 and percussionist Michael Pugliese worked out the piano set, which Cage re-dedicated to him. Merce Cunningham later choreographed the music as 'Arcade'. Edition Peters EP 66328 (16 pages, spiral bound); the piano set is EP 66327.

Technical overview

Pitch, duration, articulation, colour and dynamics are notated exactly for each sound; the range in use is limited at any moment but shifts across the piece, requiring precise leaps anywhere on the fingerboard, played without vibrato.

Technical focus

• Shifting
• Dynamics