Cage, John: Souvenir 12′



John Cage (1912-1992):

Souvenir

(1983)

Souvenir is an unusual work for Cage from 1984. After receiving half of the commission fee from the American Guild of Organists, he learned that they wanted him to make a piece that was similar to the 1948 piano composition Dream. Never one to repeat himself literally, he returned the commission fee, but it was remailed to him with assurances that he could make whatever kind of piece he wished. Thus liberated, he decided to comply with the original request, and so Souvenir is a melodious work with repetitions yet with the intrusions of harsh tone clusters, which make it something “new”. The piece is easily adaptable for the accordion, there also exist versions for other instruments of this work.