Description
Like numerous other works by Cage, Cheap Imitation was a result of his collaboration with Merce Cunningham’s dance company. However, in this case the original choreography relied not on Cage’s music, but on a piano arrangement of Erik Satie’s symphonic drama Socrate.
Cheap Imitation became the last work Cage performed in public as a pianist: arthritis prevented him from doing any more performances. Cheap Imitation became something of a departure for Cage, because it was his first “proper” composition, in the old sense of the word, since 1962.
Duration 35 minutes.