composers works

Cage, John

Musical-theatrical works

The City Wears a Slouch Hat (radio play, K. Patchen), 5 perc, 1942
The Seasons (ballet, 1, choreog. Cunningham), orch/pf, 1947
Works of Calder (film score, dir. H. Matter), prep pf, tape, 1950, unpubd
Water Walk, TV piece, 1 pfmr, 1959 [using 1-track tape, numerous properties]
Sounds of Venice, TV piece, 1 pfmr, 1959
Theatre Piece, 1-8 performers, 1960
Variations III, any number of people performing any actions, 1963
Les Chants de Maldoror pulvérisés par l'assistance même (Lautréamont), French-speaking audience of not more than 200, 1971
Telephones and Birds, 3 pfmrs, 1977
Inlets (Improvisation II), 4 pfmrs with conch shells, sound of fire (live or recorded), 1977 [for dance by Cunningham]
49 Waltzes for the Five Boroughs, 1 or more pfmrs/1 or more listeners/1 or more record makers, 1977
A Dip in the Lake, 1 or more pfmrs/1 or more listeners/1 or more record makers, 1978
Europeras 1 & 2, 19 vv, 21 players, tape, 1987
Five Stone Wind, 3 pfmrs, 1988, unpubd [choreog. Cunningham]
One3, solo pfmr, 1989, unpubd
Europeras 3 & 4, 6vv, 2 pf, 12 victrolas, tape, 1990
Scottish Circus, musicircus, 1990 [based on Scottish trad. music]
Europera 5, 2vv, pf, victrola, tape/TV/radio, 1991
Four6, 4 pfmrs, 1992

Orchestral and large ensemble

Concerto, prep pf, chbr orch, 1950-51
Concert, pf, orch, 1957-8
Atlas eclipticalis, any ens from 86 insts, 1962
Etcetera, small orch, tape, 3 conds, 1973 [choreog. Cunningham as Un Jour ou Deux]
Renga, 78 insts/vv, 1976
Quartets I-VIII, orch, 1976, arr. 12 amp vv, sym. band, 1978
30 Pieces for 5 Orchestras, 1981
Dance/4 Orchestras, 1982
Exercise, orch, 1984, unpubd
Etcetera 2/4 Orchestras, orch, tape, 1985
1O1, orch, 1988
Twenty-Three, str orch, 1988
108, orch, 1991
103, orch, 1991
Twenty-Eight, Twenty-Six and Twenty-Nine, orch, 1991
Eighty, orch, 1992
Sixty-Eight, orch, 1992
Fifty-Eight, wind orch, 1992
Seventy-Four, orch, 1992

Vocal music

Greek Ode (Aeschylus: The Persians), 1v, pf, 1932, unpubd
3 Songs (G. Stein), 1933
Sonata for 2 Voices, 2 or more insts, 1933
Composition for 3 Voices, 3 or more insts, 1934
Solo with Obbligato Accompaniment of 2 Voices in Canon, and 6 Short Inventions on the Subjects of the Solo, 3 or more insts, 1934, arr. 7 insts, 1958
5 Songs (e.e. cummings), Ca, pf, 1938
A Chant with Claps, 1v, 1940, unpubd
Living Room Music (Stein), perc and speech qt, 1940
Forever and Sunsmell (Cummings), 1v, 2 perc, 1942 [for dance by Erdman]
The Wonderful Widow of Eighteen Springs (J. Joyce), 1v, closed pf, 1942
4 Dances, 1v, prep pf, perc, 1943
She is Asleep, 1943: Quartet, 12 tomtoms; Duet, 1v, prep pf; A Room, prep pf/pf
A Room, pf/prep pf, 1943
Four Walls (Cunningham), 1v, pf, 1944 [for dance by Cunningham]
Experiences no.2 (Cummings), 1v, 1948 [for dance by Cunningham]
A Flower, 1v, closed pf, 1950 [for dance by Lippold]
Solo for Voice 1, 1958
Aria, 1v, 1958
Solo for Voice 2, 1 or more vv, 1960
Song Books (Solos for Voice 3-92), 1970
Sixty-Two Mesostics re Merce Cunningham, amp 1v, 1971
Lecture on the Weather, 12vv, tapes, 1975
Quartets I-VIII, orch, 1976, arr. 12 amp vv, sym. band, 1978
Hymns and Variations, 12 amp vv, 1979
Litany for the Whale, 2vv, 1980
Ear for EAR, vv, 1983
Nowth upon Nacht (Joyce), 1v, pf, 1984
A Collection of Rocks, double chorus, orch (without cond.), 1984
Eight Whiskus (C. Mann), 1v, 1984, version for vn, 1985
Selkus2, 1v, 1984
Mirakus2, 1v, 1984
Sonnekus2, 1v, 1985
Ryoanji, vv, fl, ob, trbn, db, perc, small orch, 1983-5
4 Solos for Voice, 1988
Four2, SATB, 1990

Chamber music

Quartet, 4 perc, 1935
3 Pieces, 2 fl, 1935
Trio, suite, 3 perc, 1936
Music for Wind Instruments, wind qnt, 1938
First Construction (in Metal), 6 perc, 1939
Second Construction, 4 perc, 1940
Imaginary Landscape no.2, 3 perc, 1940, withdrawn
Fads and Fancies in the Academy, pf, 4 perc, 1940
Double Music, 4 perc, 1941, collab. L. Harrison
Third Construction, 4 perc, 1941
Imaginary Landscape no.3, 6 perc, 1942
Imaginary Landscape no.2 (March no.1), 5 perc, 1942
Amores, 2 prep pf, 2 perc trios, 1943
She is Asleep, 1943: Quartet, 12 tomtoms; Duet, 1v, prep pf; A Room, prep pf/pf
A Room, pf/prep pf, 1943
A Book of Music, 2 prep pf, 1944
Prelude for Six Instruments, a, fl, bn, tpt, vn, vc, pf, 1946, unpubd
Nocturne, vn, pf, 1947
String Quartet in 4 Parts, 1949-50
6 Melodies, vn, kbd, 1950
16 Dances, fl, tpt, 4 perc, vn, vc, pf, 1950-51 [for dance by Cunningham]
Winter Music, 1-20 pf, 1957
Haiku, any insts, 1958
Variations I, any number of players, any means, 1958
Variations II, any number of players, any means, 1961
Variations IV, any number of players, any means, 1963
Score (40 Drawings by Thoreau) and 23 Parts, any insts, 1974
Furniture Music Etcetera, 2 pf, 1980, unpubd
Postcard from Heaven, 1-20 hp, 1982
30 Pieces, str qt, 1983
But what about the noise of crumpling paper which he used to do in order to paint the series of 'Papiers froissés' or tearing up paper to make 'Papiers déchirés'? Arp was stimulated by water (sea, lake and flowing waters like rivers), forests, perc ens, 1985
Improvisation A + B, v, cl, trbn, perc, orch, 1986, unpubd
Hymnkus, chbr ens, 1986
Haikai, gamelan, 1986
Music for more, variable chbr ens, 1984-7
Two, fl, pf, 1987
Five, any 5 insts/vv, 1988
Seven, fl, cl, vn, va, vc, perc, pf, 1988
Four, str qt, 1989
Three, 3 rec, 1989
Two2, 2 pf, 1989
c Composed improvisations, elec bass, snare drum, one-sided drums, 1990
Fourteen, pf, chbr ens, 1990
Seven2, b fl, b cl, b trbn, 2 perc, vc, db, 1990
Eight, wind qnt, tpt, trbn, tuba, 1991
Five2, eng hn, 2 cl, b cl, timp, 1991
Four3, pf/2pf, rainsticks, vn/oscillator, 1991 [choreog. Cunningham as Beach Birds]
Three2, 3 perc, 1991
Two3, sho, conch shells, 1991
Two4, vn, pf/sho, 1991
Six, 6 perc, 1991
Five3, trbn, str qt, 1991
Five4, s sax, a sax, 3 perc, 1991
Five5, fl, 2 cl, b cl, perc, 1991
Four4, 4 perc, 1991
Four5, sax ens, 1991
Ten, fl, ob, cl, trbn, perc, str qt, pf, 1991
Two5, t trbn, pf, 1991
Twenty-Eight, wind ens, 1991
Twenty-Six, 26 vn, 1991
Twenty-Nine, 2 timp, 2 perc, pf, 10 va, 8 vc, 6 db, 1991
Two6, vn, pf, 1992
Thirteen, chbr ens, 1992

Solo instrumental

3 Easy Pieces, pf, 1933, unpubd
Sonata, cl, 1933
2 Pieces, pf, 1935, rev. 1974
Quest, pf, 1935
Metamorphosis, pf, 1938
Bacchanale, prep pf, 1940 [for dance by S. Fort]
Jazz Study, pf, 1942, unpubd
Totem Ancestor, prep pf, 1942 [for dance by Cunningham]
And the Earth shall Bear Again, prep pf, 1942 [for dance by V. Bettis]
Primitive, prep pf, 1942 [for dance by W. Williams]
In the Name of the Holocaust, prep pf, 1942 [for dance by Cunningham]
Ad Lib, pf, 1943, unpubd [for dance by Cunningham]
Our Spring Will Come, prep pf, 1943 [for dance by P. Primus]
Tossed as it is Untroubled (Meditation), prep pf, 1943 [for dance by Cunningham]
Triple-Paced no.1, pf, 1943, unpubd
The Perilous Night, prep pf, 1944
Prelude for Meditation, prep pf, 1944
Root of an Unfocus, prep pf, 1944 [for dance by Cunningham]
Spontaneous Earth, prep pf, 1944 [for dance by Cunningham]
Triple-Paced no.2, prep pf, 1944, unpubd
The Unavailable Memory of, prep pf, 1944
A Valentine Out of Season, prep pf, 1944
Crete, pf, 1945, unpubd
Dad, pf, 1945, unpubd
Daughters of the Lonesome Isle, prep pf, 1945 [for dance by Erdman]
Party Pieces (Sonorous and Exquisite Corpses), 1945, collab. H. Cowell, L. Harrison, V. Thomson
Soliloquy, pf, 1945, unpubd
Experiences no.1, 2 pf, 1945 [for dance by Cunningham]
Mysterious Adventure, prep pf, 1945 [for dance by Cunningham]
3 Dances, 2 prep pf, 1945
Daughters of the Lonesome Isle, prep pf, 1945 [for dance by Erdman]
Ophelia, pf, 1946 [for dance by Erdman]
2 Pieces, pf, 1946
Music for Marcel Duchamp, prep pf, 1947
Sonatas and Interludes, prep pf, 1946-8
Dream, pf, 1948 [for dance by Cunningham]
In a Landscape, hp/pf, 1948 [for dance by L. Lippold]
Suite, toy pf/pf, 1948 [for dance by Cunningham]
Music of Changes, pf, 1951
Waiting, pf, 1952 [for dance by L. Lippold]
7 Haiku, pf, 1951-2
2 Pastorales, prep pf, 1951-2
Music for Carillon no.1, 1952
For M.C. and D.T., pf, 1952
Music for Piano 1, 1952 [choreog. J. Melchen as Paths and Events]
Music for Piano 2, 1953
Music for Piano 3, 1953
Music for Piano 4-19, 1953
Music for Piano 20, 1953
Music for Carillon nos.2-3, 1954
34' 46.776'' for a Pianist, 1954
31' 57.9864'' for a Pianist, 1954
59½'', any 4-str inst, 1953
26' 1.1499'' for a String Player, 1953-5
Music for Piano 21-36/37-52, 1955
27' 10.554'' for a Percussionist, 1956
Music for Piano 53-68, 1956
Music for Piano 69-84, 1956
For Paul Taylor and Anita Dencks, pf, 1957 [for dance by P. Taylor]
TV Köln, pf, 1958
Music for Carillon no.4, 1961
Music for Piano 85, 1962, unpubd
0' 00'' (4' 33'' no.2), solo for any player, 1962
Music for Carillon no.5, 1967
Cheap Imitation, pf, 1969, orchd 1972, vn version 1977 [choreog. Cunningham as Second Hand]
Etudes australes, pf, 1974-5
Chorals, vn, 1978
Sound Anonymously Received, any inst, 1978, unpubd
Etudes Boreales, vc/pf, 1978
Some of 'The Harmony of Maine', org, 3-6 assistants, 1978
Souvenir, org, 1983
Perpetual Tango, pf, 1984
Eight Whiskus (C. Mann), 1v, 1984, version for vn, 1985
Aslsp, pf, 1985
Organ2/Aslsp, org, 1987
One, pf, 1987
Swinging, pf, 1989
One2, pf, 1989
One4, perc, 1990
One5, pf, 1990
One6, vn, 1990
One7, any inst, 1990
One8, vc, 1991
Lullaby, music box, 1991
One9, sho, 1991
One10, vn, 1992

Electo-acoustic music

Imaginary Landscape no.1, 2 variable-speed turntables, frequency recordings, muted pf, cymbal, 1939 [to be perf. as a recording or broadcast]
Credo in Us, 4 perc (incl. pf, radio/phonograph), 1942 [for dance by M. Cunningham and J. Erdman]
Works of Calder (film score, dir. H. Matter), prep pf, tape, 1950, unpubd
Imaginary Landscape no.4 (March no.2), 12 radios, 1951
Imaginary Landscape no.5, any 42 recordings, 1952 [score to be realized as a magnetic tape, for dance by Erdman]
Water Music, pianist, 1952 [also using radio, whistles, water containers, deck of cards; score to be mounted as a large poster]
Williams Mix, 8 1-track/4 2-track tapes, 1952
Speech 1955, 5 radios, newsreader, 1955
Radio Music, 1-8 radios, 1956
Music Walk, pf (1 or more players), 1958 [also using radio and/or recordings]
Fontana Mix, tape, 1958
Water Walk, TV piece, 1 pfmr, 1959 [using 1-track tape, numerous properties]
Music for Amplified Toy Pianos, 1960
Music for 'The Marrying Maiden' (J. MacLow), tape, 1960
Cartridge Music, amp sounds, 1960
Electronic Music for Piano, pf + elecs, 1965
Rozart Mix, tape loops, 1965
Variations V, audio-visual perf., 1965
Variations VI, plurality of sound systems, 1966
Variations VII, mixed-media perf., 1966 [notated 1972, unpubd]
Newport Mix, tape loops, 1967, unpubd
Musicircus, mixed-media event, 1967, unpubd
Reunion, elecs, 1968, unpubd
HPSCHD, 1-7 amp hpd, 1-51 tapes, 1967-9, collab. L. Hiller
331/3, record players, 1969, unpubd
Bird Cage, 12 tapes, 1972
Etcetera, small orch, tape, 3 conds, 1973 [choreog. Cunningham as Un Jour ou Deux]
Child of Tree, perc using amp plant materials, 1975
Lecture on the Weather, 12vv, tapes, 1975
Branches, perc solo/ens, amp plant materials, 1976
Apartment House 1776, mixed-media event, any ens, 1976 excerpts arr. vn, pf, 1986
Inlets (Improvisation II), 4 pfmrs with conch shells, sound of fire (live or recorded), 1977 [for dance by Cunningham]
Hymns and Variations, 12 amp vv, 1979
__, __ __ circus on __, any ens, 1979, realized as Roaratorio, an Irish Circus on Finnegans Wake, tape, 1979
Paragraphs of Fresh Air, radio event, 1979, unpubd
Improvisations III, cassette players, 1980
Improvisation IV, 3 cassette players, 1982
Etcetera 2/4 Orchestras, orch, tape, 1985
Rocks, elec devices, 1986, unpubd
Essay, tape, 1986 [choreog. Cunningham as Points in Space]
Europeras 1 & 2, 19 vv, 21 players, tape, 1987
Europeras 3 & 4, 6vv, 2 pf, 12 victrolas, tape, 1990
Europera 5, 2vv, pf, victrola, tape/TV/radio, 1991
Four3, pf/2pf, rainsticks, vn/oscillator, 1991 [choreog. Cunningham as Beach Birds]

Other works

Black Mountain Piece, multimedia event, 1952, unpubd
4' 33'', tacet for any inst/insts, 1952
WBAI, auxiliary score for perf. with other works, 1960
Cheap Imitation, pf, 1969, orchd 1972, vn version 1977 [choreog. Cunningham as Second Hand]
Alla ricerca del silenzio perduto, prep train, 1977
Variations VIII, no music or recordings, 1978
Haikai, fl, zoomoozophone, 1984
Sculptures musicales, any sounds, 1989
Five Hanau Silence, environmental sounds of Hanau, 1991

Principal publishers

Henmar
Peters