John Cage had a particular predilection for poetry. "Poetry," he wrote, " is not poetry by reason of its content or ambiguity, but by reason of its allowing musical elements (time, sound) to be introduced into the world of words." And the composer said about Stefano Scodanibbio, who transcribed the Freeman Etudes and Dream for contrabass and in this recording also serves as conductor of Concert for Piano and Orchestra and Radio Music, " I haven"t heard better double bass playing than Scodanibbio"s. He"s really extraordinary ... absolutely magic."