The 44 Harmonies are based on early American music, are, to quote Cage: `for the most part both quartets and solos, subtractions of different sorts from anthems and congregational music written by composers who were at least twenty years old at the time of the American Revolution` (specifically: Supply Belcher, William Billings, Jacob French, Andrew Law, and James Lyon). These Harmonies are derived from Cage`s Apartment House 1776.
In 1998, Irvine Arditti, along with pianist Stephen Drury, were in the studio to continue recording Cage`s complete works for violin and piano. On the schedule was Roger Zahab`s realization of 13 of the Harmonies from Apartment House 1776. For various reasons, that recording was not made. However, Arditti became inspired.
Arditti wrote: `When I looked at the original score of Harmonies, I saw that the open harmonies of this almost medieval looking score lent itself perfectly to the homogenous sound of a string quartet.` Arditti continued to arrange all 44 Harmonies for string quartet with the approval of Cage`s publisher, C.F. Peters. The complete set receive their first recording here.
both quartets and solos, subtractions of different sorts from anthems and congregational
music written by composers who were at least twenty years old at the time of the American
Revolution` (specifically: Supply Belcher, William Billings, Jacob French, Andrew Law, and
James Lyon). These Harmonies are derived from Cage`s Apartment House 1776.
In 1998, Irvine Arditti, along with pianist Stephen Drury, were in the studio to continue
recording Cage`s complete works for violin and piano. On the schedule was Roger Zahab`s
realization of 13 of the Harmonies from Apartment House 1776. For various reasons, that
recording was not made. However, Arditti became inspired.
Arditti wrote: `When I looked at the original score of Harmonies, I saw that the open
harmonies of this almost medieval looking score lent itself perfectly to the homogenous
sound of a string quartet.` Arditti continued to arrange all 44 Harmonies for string
quartet with the approval of Cage`s publisher, C.F. Peters. The complete set receive their
first recording here.