Cage, Cunningham & Rauschenberg in Prague & Ostrava (1964)

In September 1964, on their way to the Warsaw Autumn festival, the Cunningham Dance Company, John Cage, David Tudor and Robert Rauschenberg (traveling as the tour’s art director and stage technician) performed in Prague and Ostrava. These performances were significant for the Czech music scene, as Cage and Tudor met with composers and gave a public talk. The Cunningham Company and Cage were also given the rare opportunity to perform Concert for Piano and Orchestrawith a full orchestra (conducted by the composer, Tudor at the piano)–Musica viva pragensis, organized by 22-year-old Petr Kotik. Peter Graham’s talk includes documents, commentaries and eyewitness accounts of this historic visit.