| Category: | Musical composition |
| Dated: | Stony Point, N.Y., 1954 |
| Instrumentation: | Prepared piano |
| Duration: | indeterminate |
| Premiere and performer(s): | October 17, 1954 at the Donaueschinger Musiktage in Germany. John Cage and David Tudor played 12'55.6078" for two pianists, a simultaneous performance of 31'57.9864" For a Pianist and 31'57.9864" For a Pianist |
| Dedicated to: | |
| Choreography: | --- |
| Published: | Edition Peters 6781 © 1960 by Henmar Press |
| Manuscript: | Worksheet? (1 lf.); Draft, incomplete (3 rolls), both at the Getty Center in Santa Monica, California. Score (holograph, signed, in ink - 4+58 p. Folder 202) in New York Public Library. |
| Notation of the work is in space, equal to time. The material may be used in whole or in part,
with or without the other 'time-length pieces', to provide a solo or ensemble work for any combination up to 2 pianists, 5 string
players and 1 percussionist. Cage indicates that the title be the length of the longest one (in minutes and seconds and
decimal fractions of seconds), followed by a suitable reference to the performers e.g. 16'12.4068" for a Pianist and String
Player. The production of harmonics and use of the pedal is free and noises are included in the work (in 3 categories). The preparation is in 5 categories and are chosen by the performer (they are defined by string and material, but the actual placement and type of objects are free and the preparation changes during the performance of the work). This is a virtuoso work (Cage composed it for David Tudor to perform, together with 31'57.9864" For a Pianist, which he wrote for himself). Certain specifics of the work are graphed. The rhythmic structure is 3-7-2-5-11. The compositional means were chance operations and the use of imperfections in the paper upon which the work was written. The work is part of The Ten Thousand Things Sources: Richard Kostelanetz: John Cage writer - previously uncollected pieces; Paul van Emmerik: Thema's en Variaties; James Pritchett: The Music of John Cage; New York Public Library online catalog |