| Category: | Musical composition |
| Dated: | 1935 |
| Instrumentation: | Any percussion instruments |
| Duration: | 20' |
| Premiere and performer(s): | First documented performance: fall 1938, Cornish Theatre, Seattle, Washington. Performed by John Cage, Xenia Cage, Doris Dennison and Margaret Jansen |
| Dedicated to: | --- |
| Choreography: | --- |
| Published: | Edition Peters 6789 © 1960 by Henmar Press |
| Manuscript: | 4 Parts (Holograph parts of 4th movement in ink with tilte page additions in ink, signed - 12 p.), score (Holograph, signed, in pencil with additions in ink - 10 p.); Score and letter from the copyist, Paul Sadowski to john Cage (photocopy of holograph score - 1 lf, letter - 1 lf.) all in New York Public Library. |
| The Quartet is in 4 movements: I Moderato ; II Very Slow ; III Axial Asymmetry - Slow ; IV Fast. It may be
performed with one or with both slow movements. The Quartet is a work of fixed rhythmic patterns. Cage composed the Quartet during his studies with Schönberg. This seems quite remarkable since the work is far from the spirit of the teacher, and has more in common with the works of a number of other composers. 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; Liner notes of CD Hungaroton HCD 31844 |