Second Construction

---

Category:	Musical composition
Dated:	Seattle, 1939 - January 1, 1940
Instrumentation:	Percussion ensemble (4 players)
Duration:	6'
Premiere and performer(s):	February 14, 1940 at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. Performance by John and Xenia Cage, Doris Denison and Margaret Jansen
Dedicated to:	---
Choreography:	---
Published:	Edition Peters 6791 © 1960 by Henmar Press
Manuscript:	Score (holograph in ink - 17 p.); 4 parts (holograph, signed, in ink with pencil emendations in different hands - 4+5+3+5 p.); Draft of earlier version of score (holograph in pencil, signed - 19 p.); directions for playing (photocopy of typescript - 1 lf.); draft of part for player 1 (copyist's manuscript in ink; pencil emendations probably in the hand of Xenia Cage. signed: Xenia [Cage]. - 2 p.), all in New York Public Library.

---

The use of rhythmic structures is characterisctic of this work. Like First Construction (in metal) it has 16 times 16 measures, divided 4/3/4/5. The work is dominated by a form of variation technique, while the use of traditional thematic variations is almost entirely absent. The instruments used are mainly metal and skin, including the use of a (prepared) piano (manually muted and producing siren-like sounds by means of sliding a cylinder on the strings, while a trill is produced on the keyboard). Sources: Paul van Emmerik: Thema's en Variaties; Paul van Emmerik's A John Cage Compendium; C.F.Peters Catalog; New York Public Library online catalog; Richard Kostelanetz: John Cage: Writer - Previously uncollected pieces)