| Category: | Musical composition |
| Dated: | Stony Point, N.Y., September 1975 |
| Instrumentation: | For 12 speaker-vocalists (or instrumentalists), preferably American men who have become Canadian citizens, each using his own sound system given
an equalization distinguishing it from the others. The work also features tapes and a film. |
| Duration: | between 22'45" and 36'24" |
| Premiere and performer(s): | |
| Dedicated to: | For 12 American-speaking men, preferably Americans who have become Canadian citizens, who also vocalize or play an instrument |
| Choreography: | --- |
| Published: | Edition Peters 6817 © 1975 by Henmar Press |
| Manuscript: | Sketches (holograph in pencil and ink - 1 lf. Folder 432); Sketches (holograph in ink - 36 lvs. Folder 433); Sketches (holograph in ink - 38 lvs. Folder 434); Sketches (holograph in ink - 14 lvs. Folder 436); Sketches for parts 1-4 (holograph in ink - 39 lvs. Folder 437); Sketches for parts 4-7 (holograph in ink - 41 lvs. Folder 438); Sketches for parts 8-12 (holograph in ink - 40 lvs. Folder 439); Notes (holograph in ink - 17 lvs. Folder 440); Draft for the preface (holograph in pencil and typescript - 20 lvs. Folder 441); Draft for the preface (typescript, signed, in ink - 3 lvs. Folder 442); 12 parts (typescript, signed, in ink - 154 lvs. Folder 443); Plan and storyboard for the film to accompany the work, dated Jan.26, 1976 (holograph in pencil, signed - 3 lvs. Folder 444), all in New York Public Library |
| Composed in collaboration with Luis Frangella, who produced the film, and Maryanne Amacher, who made the recordings on tape.
The performance starts with the reading of the preface. In it Cage expresses his disgust with the institutions of American government.
After that the work starts, the 12 men reading and singing text fragments by Henry David Thoreau, and/or play instruments (ad lib.).
In part 1 this is accompanied by sounds (on tape) of
wind and in part 2 by sounds of rain. In the third part the lights in the performance-space are dimmed and the performers are accompanied by
the film and the sounds of thunder. The film
consists of Thoreau drawings, printed in negative, the projection resembling lightning (white on black) The performers have to agree on a total duration of the work (between 5 to 8 periods of 273 seconds, resulting in durations as mentioned above). Every performer creates his own program of starts and breaks, covering the duration of the composition. The work was commissioned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in observance of the bicentennial of the United States of America. Sources: New York Public Library online catalog; Paul van Emmerik: Thema's en Variaties; James Pritchett: The Music of John Cage; Stefan Schädler & Walter Zimmermann (Ed.): John Cage - Anarchic Harmony; John Cage: Empty Words |