CAGE: VARIATIONS
MS | 5562 |
MS Short Title | CAGE: VARIATIONS |
Text | John Cage: Variations I or II, graphical constellation |
Description | MS in English on paper, USA, 1961-1962, 1 p 8x13 cm, graphic notation of lines and dots, identified by Cage to be from Variations I or II, inscribed to Roland Fischer, autograph, signed. |
Provenance | 1. Roland Fischer (1962-) and heirs; 2. Sotheby's 7.12.2015:149. |
Commentary | John Cage (1912-1992) pioneer in graphic notation, indeterminacy in music and electro-acoustic music, composed "Variations I" in 1958 and "Variations II" in 1962-1963. These works are among the earliest examples of graphic musical notation. "Materials for Variations II consist of 5 small transparencies with a single point on each, and 6 larger transparencies each with one line. These may be superimposed in any way, creating a configuration of points and lines, to be interpreted as a way of producing sounds. This is achieved by dropping perpendiculars from the dots to all the lines". The configuration on the present autograph is two vertical lines, two horizontal lines and one transversal line for any instrumental combination, as well as seven points denoting sounds. "Measurements of the perpendiculars are used to obtain readings for frequency, amplitude, timbre, duration, points of occurrence and number of sounds". (Database of Works from John Cage's website). |
Place of origin | USA |
Dates | 1961-1962 AD |
- ADVANCED MANUSCRIPT SEARCH
- 1. Bible
- 2. History
- 3. Literature
- 4. Palaeography
- 4.1 Early Writing
- 4.2 Greek Book Scripts
- 4.3 Latin Book Scripts
- 4.3.1 Roman Scripts
- 4.3.2 National or Relgional Scripts
- 4.3.3 Carolingian Minuscule
- 4.3.4 Romanesque
- 4.3.5 Gothic
- 4.3.6 Italian & Humanistic
- 4.3.7 East European
- 4.4 Latin Documentary Scripts
- 4.5 Greek & Other
- 4.6 Aramaic, Hebrew & Syriac
- 4.6.1 Proto-Canaanite / Early Phoenician
- 4.6.2 Aramaic
- 4.6.3 Jewish Aramaic
- 4.6.4 Hasmonean Hebrew
- 4.6.5 Herodian Hebrew
- 4.6.6 Hebrew Square
- 4.6.7 Semi-Cursive Hebrew
- 4.6.8 Rabbinic Cursive
- 4.6.9 Samaritan
- 4.6.10 Syriac Estrangela
- 4.6.11 Syriac Sertâ
- 4.6.12 Syriac Rabbinic
- 4.6.13 Christian Palestinian Aramaic / Palestinian Syriac
- 4.6.14 Mandaic
- 4.6.15 Manichaean
- 4.6.16 Angelic Script
- 4.7 Arabic
- 4.8 Native American
- 5. Patristic Literature
- 6. Liturgy
- 7. Music
- MUSIC NOTATION
- 7.1 Sumerian Music
- 7.2 Babylonian Cuneiform
- 7.3 Ancient Greek
- 7.4 Byzatine Notation
- 7.5 Metz (Messine)
- 7.6 North French
- 7.7 Aquitanian Neumes
- 7.8 Palaeo-Frankish (St Amand)
- 7.9 St Gallen Neumes
- 7.10 Toscana Neumes
- 7.11 Bologna Neumes
- 7.12 Beneventan Neumes
- 7.13 Catalan Neumes
- 7.14 Cistercian Neumes
- 7.15 English Neumes
- 7.16 Metz-Gerrman Gothic
- 7.17 Hufnagel / German Gothic
- 7.18 'Tête de Marteau' Notation
- 7.19 Square Notation
- 7.20 Praha Notation
- 7.21 Estergom Notation
- 7.22 Wroclaw Notation
- 7.23 Mensural Notation
- 7.24 Tablature Notation
- 7.25 Old Russian Neumes
- 7.26 Osmanic Letter Notation
- 7.27 Vedic Numeric Hand
- 7.28 Koto Notation
- 7.29 Chinese Gongchi
- 7.30 Graphic Notation
- 7.31 Virtual Notation
- COMPOSERS AT WORK
- 7.32 Renaissance Music
- 7.33 Baroque Music
- 7.34 Classical Period
- 7.35 Romanticism
- 7.36 Modern to 1950
- 7.37 Contemporary
- 8. Law
- 9. Mathematics
- 10. Magical Literature
- 11. Calendars & Almanacs
- 12. Dead Sea Scrolls
- 13. Scribal Activity & Learning
- 14. Papyri & Ostraca
- 15. Bindings & Bookboxes
- 16. Seals
- 17. Apocryphal Literature
- 18. Nordic Countries
- 18.1 Norway
- MS 566/1
- MS 1385
- MS 2151
- MS 2116/2
- MS 2118/1
- MS 2526/3
- MS 2119/1
- MS 2113
- MS 2223/16 (Seals)
- MS 1281 (Music)
- MS 1576 (Palaeography)
- MS 2913 (Calendars)
- MS 2222/3 (Calendars)
- MS 2222/2 (Calendar)
- MS 1570 (Palaeography)
- MS 2128 (History)
- MS 2132 (Smaller Collections)
- MS 4473 (Smaller Collections)
- MS 2114 (Literature)
- MS 2526/1 (Literature)
- MS 2115/1 (Literature)
- MS 2120/4 (Smaller Collections)
- MS 2120/1 (Smaller Collections)
- MS 2526/2 (Smaller Collections)
- MS 2774 (Smaller Collections)
- MS 2138 (Smaller Collection)
- MS 4471 (Smaller Collection)
- MS 5272/1 (Smaller Collections)
- MS 2117/3 (Literature)
- MS 2140 (Smaller Collecitons)
- MS 2306 (Bible)
- MS 2255 (Smaller TBA)
- 18.2 Sweden
- 18.3 Denmark & Greenland
- 18.4 Finland
- 18.5 Iceland
- 18.1 Norway
- 19. Dictionaries & Lexical Texts
- 20. China
- 21. Pre-Gutenberg Printing
- 22. Buddhism
- 23. Religions
- 24. Smaller Collections
- 24.1 Architecture
- 24.2 Books of Hours
- 24.3 Letters
- 24.4 Legends & Proverbs
- 24.5 Children's Literature
- 24.6 Library Catalogues
- 24.7 Maps
- 24.8 Marine Life
- 24.9 Medical Texts
- 24.10 Miracles & Saints
- 24.11 Peerage Genealogies
- 24.12 Roman Military Diplomas
- 24.13 Ships & Seamanship
- 24.14 Slavery
- 24.15 Weights & Measures
- 24.16 Wine & Beer
- 24.17 Women Authors
- 24.18 Miscellaneous