The Boulez-Cage Correspondence [Paperback]

A study of two of the greatest composers of the twentieth century through their correspondence, now available for the first time in English in a paperback edition.Between May 1949 and August 1954 the composers Pierre Boulez and John Cage exchanged a series of remarkable letters, reflecting on their own music as well as the culture of the time. This correspondence, together with other relevant documents, has been edited and annotated by Jean-Jacques Nattiez.Between May 1949 and August 1954 the composers Pierre Boulez and John Cage exchanged a series of remarkable letters, reflecting on their own music as well as the culture of the time. This correspondence, together with other relevant documents, has been edited and annotated by Jean-Jacques Nattiez.Between May 1949 and August 1954 the composers Pierre Boulez and John Cage exchanged a series of remarkable letters that reflect on their own music and the culture of the time. This correspondence, together with other relevant documents, has been edited and annotated by Jean-Jacques Nattiez and is now available for the first time in English in a paperback edition.Preface to the English edition; Translator's introduction; Introduction: Cage/Boulez: a chapter in music history; Correspondence; Glossary of names. Their letters detail an intense interchange and illuminate the differences between the frankly eclectic Cage, who was then deepening his acquaintances with Zen Buddhism, dada, and abstract expressionism, and Boulez, who was immersing himself in his notions of mathematical control of his composition. Booklist The book's contrapuntal portrayal of the widening chasm is quite fascinating. It is a necessary book; an invaluable document of its time. The Guardian This admirably edited collection, containing all the surviving letters exchanged between Pierre Boulez and John Cage, helps to answer one of the great questions about post-war music--how was it that these men arrived at such similar premises for the writing olsj