Four Dances
(What So Proudly We Hail)




Category: Musical composition
Dated: December 7, 1942 (dance 1); December 18, 1942 (dance 2); December 19, 1942 (dance 3); January 3, 1943 (dance 4)
Instrumentation: wordless tenor voice, prepared piano (also handclap) and percussion (tom tom, handclap, footstomp)
Duration: 20' (4'30" - 6'30" - 3' - 6')
Premiere and performer(s): January 16, 1943 at the Central Highschool of Needle Trades in New York City
Dedicated to: ---
Choreography: Hanya Holm: What So Proudly We Hail
Published: Edition Peters 67450 © 1991 by Henmar Press
Manuscript: 2 parts (photocopy of signed holograph - 42+12 lv.) in New York Public Library


Dance nr.1 is scored for piano and percussion, dance 2 for tenor and piano, dance 3 for piano and dance 4 for piano, tenor and percussion. The original title of the composition was What So Proudly We Hail. Music for the dances of Hanya Holm. It was later retitled as Suite of four dances and published as Four Dances.
The durations are taken from the recording by the Amadinda Percussion Group (Hungaroton HCD 31847)

Sources: Paul van Emmerik: Thema's en Variaties; Paul van Emmerik: A Cage Compendium; New York Public Library online catalog; David Revill: The Roaring Silence; András Wilheim: Liner notes of Hungaroton HCD 31847