The American composer John Cage had a seminal influence on the American avant-garde and on music throughout the world. His interests in Zen Buddhism, the I Ching and in Hinduism were reflected in his innovative and experimental music in which he extended the musical vocabulary to include elements of noise and chance.

Sonatas and Interludes, written between 1946 and 1948, is a set of pieces for prepared piano, an instrument into which objects have been inserted – screws, bolts, plastic and rubber, to give various percussive effects. The work reflects Cage’s approach to the use of unusual sounds and his interest in Hinduism, with its distinction between ‘white’ and ‘black’ emotions, set around central tranquillity.