What James Tenney does have in common with the composers to whom he has dedicated his FORMs, however, is not a specific approach to dynamics, but to sound. And precisely this inquiring interest in sound, both as a physical phenomenon and as regards its perception, was a constant leitmotif that pervaded the whole American avant-garde in the 20th century. To a certain extent, it could even be seen as a decisive characteristic distinguishing the American avant-garde from its European counterpart, which was more structurally and historically oriented. — Raoul Mörchen