This work is a successful balance of current and new ideas for Cage as he was in the throes of shedding already explored, almost accepted ideas of avant-garde composing in favor of a completely radical and American outlook. Cage is perhaps the most critical creator of a musical aesthetic as it pertains specifically to the United States, and here, two vital elements of his legacy are being fleshed out for the listener: prepared piano and chance operations. The composer had already written for prepared piano, Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano from 1942 went on to become a twentieth century classic, but this is the first time it had been highlighted among other instruments. The chance operations are still not in full swing, but they do play an important role in the overall work. Using charts and number sequences, he created a chance operation system that dictated where notes and chords in different sonorities and durations are placed in the score. This produces some randomness, while Cage also composes parts of the score in a more standard process. Though the method is a complex one to explain, the result sounds natural and compelling. The orchestra of 22 players involves all sections of the standard ensemble. The concerto is in three parts, each simply called "first part," "second part," etc., and is about 20 minutes long. Among the composer's daring and large catalog, this piece is a definite success; wonder and investigation carry the concerto to a particular aesthetic where great works by Cage allow the imagination to flourish. His psychology was as inventive as it was artistic and when his music works it generates the joy of discovery. The emotions generated are not the standard, cathartic events, but they are edifying. When a work by Cage flops, it is invariably the failure of a new idea, rather than one that is tried and true. The Concerto for Prepared Piano and Chamber Orchestra is an enduring investigation that merits repeated listens and a comparison among different performances. Even the brilliant and hypercritical philosopher/music critic Theodor Adorno approved of it. Those who remain skeptical can approach a performance of the concerto as one among many paths for music, a path that may enrich the palette of future composers.

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