On 21 April, FT performs Music of Changes, John Cage’s groundbreaking 1951work of indeterminate music at British Museum.

Cage, widely known today for his 4’ 33”, was a pioneer of indeterminacy in music, where some aspects of performance are left to chance or the interpreter’s choice. Decisions in this piece are made using the I Ching. The concert takes places in the apt setting of The Sir Joseph Hotung Gallery of China and South Asia, allowing listeners to reflect on the influences of Chinese culture and philosophy on western thought and music.

british museum francesco tristano

FT performs his Goldberg City Variations project in a concert alongside artists such as Thomas Enhco, Gaspar Claus and Arandel as part of the ‘Bach Marathon’ at Cite de la Musique Hall (Paris Philharmonie) on 31 March.

Goldberg City Variations is an ambitious, brilliant project using midi technology to build a digital city in real-time with a combination of piano and computer. Francesco describes the project in more detail: “I play on a piano linked to MIDI technology (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) where each note of the 26,000+ notes of Bach Goldberg Variations is translated into digital data. This digital data works as a timeline for the construction of the city: with real time rendering. It is not a VJ playing alongside me playing the Goldberg — it is actually computer game software creating our 3D Goldberg city in real time.”

bach marathon francesco tristano