Cage-Second Construction (S)

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).

Number of Players: 4 (Score Only)
Difficulty: Grade 6
Instrumentation:

Player I: Sleigh Bells, Wind Glass, Indian Rattle, Small Maracas

Player II: Snare Drum, 5 Tom-Toms, 3 Temple Gongs, Small Maracas, Large Maracas

Player III: Tam-Tam, 5 Muted Gongs, Water Gong, Thundersheet

Player IV: Piano

John Cage was born on September 5, 1912 in Los Angeles, California and died in New York City on August 12, 1992. He studied liberal arts at Pomona College. Among his composition teachers were Henry Cowell and Arnold Schoenberg. Cage was elected to the American National Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters and received innumerable awards and honors both in the United States and in Europe.