John Cage: One8 (2004)

One8 is one of John Cage's last compositions, written specifically for cellist Michael Bach and his distinctive "BACH-Bow," specially curved in order to facilitate the playing of four cello strings at one time. Mode Records elected to release the first "authentic" recording of One8 as the 32nd volume in its Cage recorded edition as John Cage: The Number Pieces 3. As in other "number pieces" by Cage, the music is very thinly applied within the borders of its pre-designated time coordinates, with certain details left open for ... Read More

One8 is one of John Cage's last compositions, written specifically for cellist Michael Bach and his distinctive "BACH-Bow," specially curved in order to facilitate the playing of four cello strings at one time. Mode Records elected to release the first "authentic" recording of One8 as the 32nd volume in its Cage recorded edition as John Cage: The Number Pieces 3. As in other "number pieces" by Cage, the music is very thinly applied within the borders of its pre-designated time coordinates, with certain details left open for the interpreter but others reserved by the composer. No matter how much Cage gives up in favor of the interpreter, Cage always still sounds like Cage -- several of the gestures heard in One8 are reminiscent of his String Quartet in Four Parts (1950). One amazing attribute of the BACH-Bow is its ability to sound like a full string quartet, even though there is only a single player; Michael Bach has demonstrated this facility on another disc made for Mode, The Art of the Curved Bow.... Read Less