| Category: | Musical composition |
| Dated: | NYC, '86 (probably before May 14) |
| Instrumentation: | for any combination of wordless voice, alto flute, clarinet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, tenor saxophone, bassoon, trombone, percussion (2 players), accordeon, 2 pianos, violin and violoncello |
| Duration: | 30' |
| Premiere and performer(s): | |
| Dedicated to: | for Matthew Kocmieroski and the New Performance Group |
| Choreography: | --- |
| Published: | Edition Peters 67158 © 1986 by Henmar Press |
| Manuscript: | Sketches (holograph in pencil - 13 p. Folder 755); Sketches (holograph in ink - 15 p. Folder 756); 14 parts (holograph, signed, in ink - 30 p. Folder 1079), all in New York Public Library. |
| The title is a combination of two words: Hymn and (Hai)kus. The word hymn can be explained, because
the parts are made up of verses, which are repeated. Haikus, because each of the verses consists of seventeen
events. These events are played (or sung) four, five or six times, with varying tempo. The notation uses
fixed time-brackets of 30 , 45 or 60 seconds. In total there are fourteen parts, but no overall score. These parts may be performed as solos, or in any combination. The work is made up of the solos from Etcetera 2/4 Orchestras, all reduced to the same repeated eight-note chromatic range between G2 and C3, an interval of a perfect fifth. Sources: Paul van Emmerik: Thema's en Variaties; David Revill: The Roaring Silence; New York Public Library online catalog; David Nicholls: The Cambridge Companion to John Cage; Richard Kostelanetz: John Cage Writer - Previously uncollected pieces; James Fulkerson: Liner notes of CD Etcetera KTC 3002 |