| Category: | Musical composition |
| Dated: | New York, August 1952 (first version); Around 1960 (second version) |
| Instrumentation: | for any instrument or combination of instruments |
| Duration: | 4'33" (or any length of time) |
| Premiere and performer(s): | August 29, 1952 at the Maverick Concert Hall, Woodstock Artists Association in Woodstock, NY, performed by David Tudor on piano. |
| Dedicated to: | for Irwin Kremen |
| Choreography: | Merce Cunningham and company: 4'33" (1994) |
| Published: | First version: in Source No.2 (July 1967) pp.46-55. Reprinted: Edition Peters 6777a © 1993 by Henmar Press. Second version: Edition Peters 6777 © 1960 by Henmar Press |
| Manuscript: | Score, first version (holograph - 6 p.), collection Irwin Kremen, Durham, NC; Score, second version (1 p. JPB 94-24 folder 171) in New York Public Library. |
| John Cage's famous silent piece. Although composed in 1952, Cage already thought about it in 1948 where
he mentions it as 'Silent Prayer' in his article A Composer's Confessions. In the work no intentional sounds are
made during it's entire duration. In the first version the work contains 3 movements lasting 33", 2'40" and 1'20". These
timings were chance determined. Later on Cage cancelled this division and reworked the piece, creating a wholly different
composition from the original. Much has been written about 4'33" and about Cage's ideas behind it's silence. Two of those ideas: 1. Silence does not exist. One simply should listen and open one's ears. 2. Silence is a means to seperate tones and chords, in order to avoid melodic interpretations to chronology of sounds. Sources: Paul van Emmerik: Thema met Variaties; Paul van Emmerik: A Cage Compendium; William Fetterman: John Cage's theatre pieces: Notations and performances. New York Public Library online catalog; C.F.Peters online catalog. Merce Cunningham Dance Company website; David Vaughan: Merce Cunningham - Fifty Years; C.F.Peters catalog |