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Chapter 53
John Cage
Sonata II from Sonatas and Interludes
Chapter at a Glance
Listen to This First
Timbre: The Prepared Piano
The Rhythm of Melody
Connect Your Playlist: Old Instruments, New Sounds
Binary Form
Expand Your Playlist: Experimental Composers of the Twentieth Century
Chapter Objectives
After reading this chapter and listening to the work, students should be able to:
Key Concepts
prepared piano, binary form, pitched versus unpitched percussion
Chapter Highlight: Old Instruments, New Timbres
Cage produces new sounds out of an old instrument by inserting everyday objects
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Chapter Summary
Chapter 53 features a prepared piano a sound most students will not likely have
encountered. John Cage was not the first to use such altered sounds, but one of the most
famous. For Sonatas and Interludes, performers must add objects to the piano, as well
as play in specific manners, to create the desired sounds. One result of these
manipulations is the availability of both pitched and nonpitched percussion. The use of
Listening Guide
After getting somewhat familiar with the sound of the prepared piano (through Listen to
This First), students should focus on the returning melodies (labeled 1 3 in the
Listening Guide). Remind them to focus on the rhythm of the melodies. These melodies
are divided across the form, so that the A section contains melodies 1 and 2, and the B
section has melodies 2 and 3.
MyMusicLab Resources
Automated Listening Guide: John Cage: Sonata II from Sonatas and Interludes
Chapter Audio: Chapter 53
Discussion Topics and Critical Thinking Questions
How radical is the sound of the prepared piano today? Consider other keyboard
instruments developed in the latter half of the twentieth century in your answer.
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find his concepts to be thought provoking? Which aspects of Sonata II are radical and
which are not?
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Activities and Exercises
The Banshee in class, first without the image and then
with it. Have students try to guess what instrument is being used in the first playing.
Journaling Prompt
Cage is famous for focusing our attention on the definition of music. How would you
define music?