Cage – Pour une poétique de l’oubli

By Carmen Pardo

This text is being translated. We thank you for your patience.

Dans un entretien de 1982, John Cage exposait : « Mon nom est bien connu mais la connaissance de ma musique est toujours aussi mauvaise, je dirais, depuis toujours. C’est dû en grande partie au fait que j’ai écrit beaucoup de musique qui n’est pas toujours la même, et je fais toujours une musique nouvelle, de sorte que personne ne sait jamais à quoi s’attendre au moment d’écouter ma musique ¹. »

Cette déclaration nous confronte à deux idées capitales : 1) il n’existe pas un style Cage ; 2) en conséquence, la perception des auditeurs ne peut pas se fonder sur des assisses préalables. Ainsi la musique de John Cage serait-elle, comme Daniel Charles l’avait avancé dès 1976, une musique de l’oubli. Un oubli dû non pas à une défaillance mais plutôt au fait de ne pas prendre en considération ce que l’on est censé faire : l’oubli cagien serait bâti sur le manquement aux règles, à tout ce qui perpétue usages et convenances. Il s’agit d’un oubli actif.

I.

Premier acte de l’oubli actif : Schoenberg, dont Cage suit l’enseignement en 1934 et 1935, lui déclare qu’il n’a aucun sens de l’harmonie et que cette dernière sera comme un mur qui lui barrera le chemin. Cage décide de « consacrer sa vie à se taper la tête contre ce mur ² ». Après avoir travaillé au moyen d’une interprétation personnelle du dodécaphonisme dans des œuvres comme Two Voices (1933) ou Composition for Three Voices (1934), le musicien se penche sur la percussion - domaine des sons à hauteurs peu ou pas déterminées. Ce faisant, il commence à pratiquer un trou dans le mur de l’harmonie et découvre que, de l’autre côté, il y a encore des sons. Il réalise que le monde de la musique est plus vaste que ce que les systèmes laissent entendre. De 1935 à 1943, Cage compose quinze œuvres pour percussion, dont Quartet (1935), Construction in Metal (1939) ou Double Music (1941) en collaboration avec Lou Harrison.

Dans ces années, explorant ce qu’il nommera la structure rythmique micro-macrocosmique, Cage bâtit ses œuvres sur des relations proportionnelles : par l’application de racines carrées au nombre des mesures, les grandes longueurs ont la même relation au sein de l’ensemble que les petites longueurs au sein d’une unité inférieure. Cette structure rythmique peut être rendue manifeste avec des sons – bruit inclus –, mais aussi avec des mouvements comme dans le cas de la danse. Cette découverte constitue sa réponse à l’harmonie structurelle de Schoenberg ³. Ce type de structuration est employé à partir de Construction in Metal, une œuvre formée de seize unités de seize mesures de durée. Seize est aussi le nombre de mesures à 4/4 de chacune des unités de la structure rythmique.

Le trou dans le mur de l’harmonie vient s’agrandir avec l’invention du water gong (1938), pour un ballet sous l’eau, et celle du piano préparé (1940). Toutes deux sont en rapport avec son travail à la Cornish School de Seattle, où il trouve plus d’écho auprès des danseurs qu’auprès des musiciens. Le piano préparé apparaît dans la Second Construction mais le musicien en rapporte l’invention à sa collaboration à Bacchanale, un ballet de Syvilla Fort (1940). À la suite d’Henry Cowell qui pinçait les cordes du piano ou y glissait des aiguilles à coudre, Cage introduit un moule à tarte, un livre, puis divers objets comme des vis à bois, des coussinets ou des boulons. En disposant, en divers points des cordes du piano, ces matériaux qui altèrent ce que l’on considérait comme les quatre dimensions fondamentales du son (durée, intensité, fréquence et timbre), le musicien attente à l’instrument emblématique de la musique romantique. Cage compose pour piano préparé des œuvres tels que Amores (1943), A Book of Music (1944), Three Dances (1945) ou Sonatas and interludes (1946-1948), une œuvre influencée par la lecture de La Danse de Shiva d’Ananda K. Coomaraswamy et considéré comme la grande plus réussite de cette période.

L’ouverture pratiquée dans le mur de l’harmonie s’élargit avec**Imaginary Landscape No.1 (1939), pour sons acoustiques (piano et cymbale) et deux électrophones à vitesse variable – une des premières œuvres de l’histoire à faire usage des nouveaux instruments électriques de reproduction du son. La technologie est pour le musicien un outil sans mémoire ni histoire. Elle peut donner forme à des paysages imaginaires – des paysages du futur, dira Cage en réservant ce nom aux œuvres requérant des composants technologiques : Imaginary Landscape I, II, III (1939-1942) et Imaginary Landscape IV et V (1951 et 1952 respectivement).

Dans toutes les œuvres de ces années, aussi exploratoires et inventives soient-elles, Cage travaille encore avec les notions de méthode, de structure, de forme et de matériau. Dans un texte de 1949, il les définit ainsi : « La structure en musique est sa divisibilité en parties successives, des phrases jusqu’aux longues sections. La forme est le contenu, la continuité. La méthode est le moyen de contrôler la continuité de note à note. Le matériau de la musique est le son et le silence. Leur intégration est la composition ⁴ ». Des définitions aussi peu restrictives laissent entrevoir la manière dont le compositeur commence déjà, progressivement, à se placer au-delà de toute dualité (y compris celle qui serait formée par l’opposition entre harmonie structurelle et structure rythmique). Cette lente évolution est marquée par la rencontre avec Daisetz T. Suzuki, principal introducteur du bouddhisme zen en Occident, dont Cage suit les cours pendant trois années, ainsi que par la lecture de La Transformation de la nature en art de Coomaraswamy (Harvard University Press, 1934) où il lut que la fonction de l’art est d’imiter la nature dans sa manière de faire. Au cours des années 1940 ont lieu d’autres rencontres marquantes : celle de Marcel Duchamp pour qui il éprouvera une profonde admiration, celle de Merce Cunningham avec qui il partagera définitivement sa vie après son divorce en 1945, ou encore celle de l’architecte Buckminster Fuller. 

II.

Le deuxième acte de l’oubli chez Cage s’amorce dès la fin des années 1940 mais c’est durant les deux décennies suivantes qu’il est mis en œuvre. Il s’agit de l’arrivée du hasard et de l’indétermination dans la composition musicale.

La méthode compositionnelle (entendons par là tout moyen de produire de la continuité entre les notes) s’ouvre d’abord à l’improvisation, par exemple dans Imaginary Landscape IV, pour douze radios, vingt-quatre instrumentistes et chef d’orchestre (1951). La même année, Cage compose Music of Changes pour le pianiste David Tudor. Il introduit cette fois le hasard dans la méthode : la localisation des sons dans le temps, et donc la durée de l’œuvre, résulte d’opérations effectuées au moyen du Yi King (« livre des mutations »), un traité de divination chinois millénaire auquel Cage recourra de nouveau à de nombreuses reprises. Avec Music of Changes, la structure devient indéterminée, ce qui ne veut pas dire qu’elle ait disparu : elle régit la densité des sons et des silences de chacune des plus petites parties de l’œuvre.

Comme l’a dit Cage en se référant à ses promenades mycologiques, lorsqu’on observe de très près les différentes espèces naturelles, on leur reconnaît volontiers une organisation structurée, mais si l’on observe la totalité des espèces et de leurs interrelations pendant une journée, alors il devient difficile de repérer quelque organisation que ce soit : la structure s’efface. De même, dans les œuvres de Cage des années 1950, les structures se rapprochent progressivement de ce qu’elles sont dans la nature. Le musicien travaille aussi avec des structures vides, comme dans sa « Conférence sur rien » (1949), où n’importe quel mot peut émerger au même titre que le silence, ou encore 4’33’’ (1952), l’œuvre silencieuse bien connue où le compositeur nous fait tendre l’oreille vers les sons de l’environnement, vers le non-intentionnel. Dix années plus tard, 0’00’’ (4’33’’ nº 2) montrera que l’idée même de structure est contingente.

En recourant au hasard et faisant de son usage une véritable discipline, Cage cherche à ne pas imposer à la musique ses goûts personnels ; il n’a plus la responsabilité des choix effectués mais plutôt celle des questions posées. Le Yi King sera un outil privilégié de cette discipline, comme le seront aussi son travail à partir de l’interprétation des imperfections d’un papier, les superpositions géométriques ou le recours au carré magique. Ces opérations affectent l’organisation et l’interprétation musicales et libèrent la mémoire. Cage définit le hasard comme un bond qui permet à l’homme de se mettre « hors d’atteinte de [sa] propre portée ⁵ ».

L’introduction du hasard concerne aussi l’exécution musicale, du fait de l’abandon de la notation en partition traditionnelle au profit d’une notation graphique – dont chaque interprétation est unique pour le compositeur, les interprètes et les auditeurs. Le Concerto for Prepared Piano and Chamber Orchestra (1957-1958) en est un exemple. Tout, dans cette œuvre, se rapporte à des opérations de hasard. Le matériau accueille n’importe quoi : chaque son, chaque silence est accepté et est central. On est ainsi dans la non-obstruction et l’interpénétration des sons, notions que le musicien emprunte au boudhisme zen.

Cage passe, à cette époque, à l’indétermination. Le cycle des Variations I-VII (1958-1966) en est exemplaire. Dans Variations III et Variations IV (1963), aucune mesure du temps n’est appliquée (c’est également le cas dans 0’00’’). Dans Variations V (1965), la partition est écrite après l’exécution et ne contient que des remarques pour des exécutions postérieures, mais sans fournir de description de ce qui est à jouer. Cage établit bien une distinction entre hasard et indétermination : dans les opérations de hasard, le musicien connaît, en quelque sorte, les éléments avec lesquels il va travailler, tandis qu’avec l’indétermination, il est en dehors du connu. L’indétermination est une détermination qui échappe au sujet.

Le musicien a donc une démarche authentiquement expérimentale, à la fois par sa manière d’envisager la musique dans son rapport avec la vie (les deux ne pouvant donc être traités séparément) et par le fait qu’il est, comme l’auditeur, face à l’inconnu. Cette attitude, ainsi que la fréquentation d’artistes qui n’ont pas de rapports avec la musique – comme les peintres de l’école new yorkaise et l’Artists Club dont il est membre dès la fin des années 1940 –, ont porté Cage à élargir sa façon de concevoir la musique. Suite à sa lecture du Théâtre et son Double d’Antonin Artaud vers 1950, le musicien propose un théâtre sans texte où l’on assistera à nombreux événements simultanés mais dissociés comme dans Untitled Event, considéré comme le premier happening, réalisé au Black Mountain College en 1952. En 1960, il compose Theatre Piece, œuvre impliquant des éléments superposés, mais dont la superposition n’est pas précisée et dépend des choix de l’interprète, et auxquels s’ajoute « une conférence (…) dans laquelle on se coiffait, on faisait des bruits de baisers et autres gestes qui rendaient la conférence théâtrale ⁶ ».

III.

Le troisième acte de l’oubli se développe entre la fin des années 1960 et la mort du compositeur en 1992. Il s’agit d’une radicalisation de tout ce qui a été proposé auparavant. Cage conçoit notamment des musicircus (mot repris au poème d’E. E. Cummings Here of this Earth. Musicircus), situations d’exécution simultanée d’un minimum de deux œuvres différentes. Les fruits de cette démarche sont parmi d’autres, Musicircus (1967), une œuvre sans notation, HPSCHD (1967-1969, en collaboration avec Lejaren Hiller) ou les Song Books (1970). Résultat de l’intérêt déjà ancien du musicien pour la coexistence des événements et, par voie de conséquence, pour la non focalisation de l’attention sur une seule action, le musicircus implique l’acceptation d’un processus dépourvu de directionnalité La multiplicité des événements implique l’absence d’intention. Situation de non-dualité et d’interpénétration, le musicircus est comme la nature : si on l’observe dans sa totalité, il paraît désordonné, mais en même temps, tout est organisé à l’intérieur. Les écrits de Cage suivent une démarche semblable, avec les Diary que le musicien envisage comme une mosaïque empêchant la lecture linéaire.

L’intégration des sons de l’environnement (qui avaient fait leur première apparition avec 4’33’’ notamment) se poursuit dans œuvres comme Etcetera (1973) ou Etcetera 2/4 Orchestras (1985), tendant à ce que Cage nommera une écologie sonore : une musique permettant d’habiter le monde dans sa totalité et non simplement des morceaux du monde. Ce propos, suivant lequel il ne s’agit plus pour l’homme de dominer la nature mais plutôt d’écouter le monde, est lié à un souci social que le musicien accentue à partir de sa lecture d’Henry David Thoreau dans les années 1970, complétant l’inspiration prise dans les écrits de Coomaraswamy.

La préoccupation sociale de Cage s’enracine en outre dans la conception qu’il se fait de la technologie. Il considère avec Buckminster Fuller qu’il faut penser à l’échelle d’un système monétaire économique planétaire et, avec Marshall McLuhan, que l’ère de la communication électronique fait de la technique une prolongation du système nerveux central de l’individu. En conséquence, la technologie fait signe vers un instrument capable de modifier l’intelligence et de conduire à l’égalité sociale. Pour Cage, l’abondance d’information qu’offre la technologie produira l’affaiblissement de l’État et permettra d’en finir avec toute forme de gouvernement (ce qu’il appelle un techno-anarchisme). Une œuvre comme Etcetera, où les musiciens peuvent décider d’être dirigés ou non par le chef d’orchestre, en sont un exemple.

L’acceptation de tous les sons dans un esprit de non-dualité conduit Cage, à cette même époque, à intégrer des musiques préexistantes – des musiques qu’il avait jadis considérées comme usées, trop pleines de mémoire. L’emblème de cette démarche est la série des Europeras I-V (1985-1991) : des opéras à propos de l’opéra en tant que genre, un « collage pulvérisé de l’opéra européen ⁷ ». Dans les deux premiers, des matériaux du répertoire d’opéra (soixante-dix extraits) sont soumis à des opérations de hasard déterminant le nombre de notes, à partir d’un programme d’ordinateur qui simule le Yi King. L’effet de fragmentation inhérent au collage anéantit la sensation d’argument fermé de l’opéra traditionnel. Les Europeras prolongent ainsi l’expérience, amorcée dès les années 1940 avec Cunningham quant à la relation musique/danse, d’une coexistence de moyens d’expression autonomes (ici texte, musique, lumières).

Entre 1987 et 1992, Cage compose le cycle Number Pieces, où l’interprète décide du commencement et de la fin de l’émission sonore avec son chronomètre. Les limites sont établies par des « parenthèses de temps » (time brackets) : « Le recours aux parenthèses de temps permet d’écrire une ligne unique de notes, et de faire jouer, à partir de cette seule et même ligne, un grand orchestre de quatre-vingt à cent musiciens. Cela n’a rien de difficile, c’est même tout simple ; mais grâce aux parenthèses temporelles, la diversité des sons obtenus est immense : il devient possible de raccourcir ou d’allonger un son, de produire à volonté le timbre que souhaite chaque exécutant, etc. On est libre également de rendre ou non mobile la sonorité. En somme, avec, au départ, une simple ligne écrite, le même événement s’ouvre à une harmonie de différences ⁸. »

Il s’agit là de gommer toute empreinte d’un dessein mental préalable à l’interprétation. Ou encore : d’« écrire sur l’eau », selon une expression du compositeur.

À la fin de sa vie, Cage écrit sur l’eau et laisse la musique sur le sable en attendant les vagues.

---

1. Richard Kostelanetz, Conversations avec John Cage, Paris, Éditions des Syrtes, 2000, p. 66.
2. John Cage, Silence, Middletown, Wesleyan University Press, 1961, p. 261.
3. John Cage, « An Autobiographical Statement », dans John Cage Writer (selected and introduced by Richard Kostelanetz), New York, Limelight Editions, 1993, p. 239.
4. John Cage, « Précurseurs de la musique moderne » [1949], Silence. Conférences et écrits [1961], Genève : Héros-Limite, 2003, p. 69.
5. John Cage, « 45’ pour un orateur », Silence, op. cit., p. 173.
6. Richard Kostelanetz, op cit., p. 158.
7. Ibid., p. 185.
8. John Cage, Je n’ai jamais écouté aucun son sans l’aimer : le seul problème avec les sons, c’est la musique, La Souterraine : La main courante, 1994, p. 24-26.

© Ircam-Centre Pompidou, 2012

• Solo (excluding voice)
  • Untitled Composition for any instrument with specific ranges (1931), 12 mn, Inédit
  • First Chapter of Ecclesiastes, The Preacher for piano, and voice ad libitum (1932), 10 mn about , Inédit
  • Piano Etudes for piano (1932), partition perdue
  • Three Easy Pieces for piano (1933), 3 mn, Peters
  • Allemande for clarinet in B flat (1934), Inédit
  • Music for Xenia for piano (1934), Inédit
  • elec Quest for fifty toys amplified with microphone and speaker (first movement) and piano (second movement) (1935), 10 mn, Peters
  • Two Pieces for Piano for piano (1935, 1974), 4 mn, Peters
  • Metamorphosis for piano (1938), 15 mn, Peters
  • Bacchanale for prepared piano (1940), 6 mn, Peters
  • Four Songs of the Moment for piano (1940), 12 mn, pas d'éditeur
  • Spiritual for piano (1940), pas d'éditeur
  • And The Earth Shall Bear Again for prepared piano (1942), 3 mn, Peters
  • Dance to the West for piano (1942), 4 mn, Inédit
  • In the Name of the Holocaust for prepared piano (1942), 6 mn, Peters
  • Jazz Study for piano (1942), 3 mn, Peters
  • Opening Dance for piano (1942)
  • Opening Dance for Sue [Laub] for piano (1942), 2 mn, Peters
  • Primitive for prepared piano (1942), 4 mn 30 s, Peters
  • Shimmera for prepared piano (1942), pas d'éditeur
  • Totem Ancestor for prepared piano (1942), 2 mn, Peters
  • A Room for piano or prepared piano (1943), 2 mn, Peters
  • Ad Lib for piano (1943), 4 mn, Peters
  • Chess Pieces for piano (1943), 8 mn, Inédit
  • Lidice for prepared piano (1943), 15 mn, partition perdue
  • Our Spring Will Come for prepared piano (1943), 4 mn, Peters
  • Tossed As It Is Untrouble for prepared piano (1943), 2 mn 30 s, Peters
  • Triple-Paced No. 1 for piano (1943), 2 mn, Peters
  • A Valentine out of season for prepared piano (1944), 4 mn, Peters
  • Prelude for Meditation for prepared piano (1944), 60 s, Peters
  • Root of an Unfocus for prepared piano (1944), 4 mn, Peters
  • Spontaneous Earth for prepared piano (1944), 3 mn, Peters
  • The Perilous Night for piano (1943-1944), 12 mn, Peters
  • The Unavailable Memory of for prepared piano (1944), 2 mn, Peters
  • Triple-Paced No. 2 for prepared piano (1943-1944), 2 mn, Peters
  • Crete for piano (1944-1945), 60 s, Inédit
  • Dad for piano (1944-1945), 30 s, Inédit
  • Daughters of the Lonesome Isle for prepared piano (1945), 10 mn about , Peters
  • Mysterious Adventure for prepared piano (1945), 8 mn, Peters
  • Party Pieces Sonorous and Exquisite Corpses for any melodic or keyboard instrument (1945), 12 mn, Peters
  • Soliloquy for piano (1945), 3 mn, Peters
  • The Feast for piano (1945), partition perdue
  • Thin Cry for piano (1945), partition perdue
  • Encounter for piano (1946), 5 mn, Inédit
  • Foreboding for piano (1946), partition perdue
  • Ophelia for piano (1946), 5 mn, Peters
  • Two Pieces pour Piano for piano (1946), 9 mn, Peters
  • Music for Marcel Duchamp for prepared piano (1947), 5 mn, Peters
  • Dream for solo piano (1948), 6 mn 30 s, Peters
  • In a landscape for solo piano or harp (1948), 8 mn, Peters
  • Orestes for solo piano (1948), 5 mn, Inédit
  • Sonatas and interludes for prepared piano (1946-1948), 1 h 10 mn, Peters
  • Suite for toy piano for toy piano (1948), 8 mn, Peters
  • elec Music for ‘Works of Calder’ for prepared piano and magnetic tape (1950), 20 mn about , Inédit
  • Haiku for piano (1950-1951), 5 mn, Peters
  • Music of Changes for piano (1951), 43 mn, Peters [program note]
  • elec stage Black Mountain Piece for three speakers, piano, dancer, gramophone, radio, film, slide projectors and paintings (1952), 44 mn 25 s, Inédit
  • For M.C. and D.T for piano (1952), between 60 s and 2 mn, Peters
  • Music for Carillon No. 1 (1952), 4 mn, Peters
  • Music for Piano I for piano (1952), 3 mn 30 s, Peters
  • Seven Haiku for piano (1951-1952), 3 mn, Peters
  • Two Pastorales for prepared piano (1952), 14 mn, Peters
  • Waiting for piano (1952), 3 mn 30 s, Peters
  • elec Water music for a pianist with objects (1952), 6 mn 40 s, Peters
  • 1' 5½" for a String Player for any four-string instrument (1953), 1 mn 5 s, Inédit
  • 1' ½’’ for a String Player for any four-string instrument (1953), 1 mn 30 s, Inédit
  • 1'14’’ for a String Player for any four-string instrument (1953), 1 mn 14 s, Inédit
  • 1'18’’ for a String Player for any four-string instrument (1953), 1 mn 14 s, Inédit
  • 57½" for a String Player for any four-string instrument (1953), 57 s, Inédit
  • 59½" for a String Player for any four-string instrument (1953), 59 s, Peters
  • Music for Piano 20 for piano (1953), Peters
  • Music for Piano 4-19 for an unspecified number of pianos (1953), Peters
  • Music for Piano II for piano (1953), 4 mn, Peters
  • Music for Piano III for piano (1953), Peters
  • 31'57.9864” for prepared piano (1954), variable, Peters
  • 34'46.776" for prepared piano (1954), variable, Peters
  • Music for Carillon No. 2 (1954), variable, Peters
  • Music for Carillon No. 3 (1954), variable, Peters
  • 26'1.1499" for four-string instruments or a combination of two or more instruments (1955), 12 mn, Peters
  • Music for Piano 21-36; 37-52 for solo piano or ensemble (1955), variable, Peters
  • Music for Piano 69-84 for solo piano or ensemble (1955), Peters
  • 27'10.554” for a percussionist (1956), Peters
  • Music for Piano 53-68 for piano or ensemble (1956), 12 mn, Peters
  • For Paul Taylor and Anita Dencks for piano's interior and undetermined sources (1957), 3 mn, Peters
  • Winter music for one to twenty pianos (1957), Peters
  • elec Music for Carillon No. 4 for electronic chime with percussion and live electronics or magnetic tape (1958), 10 mn, Peters
  • Solo for Bassoon (1957-1958), Peters
  • Solo for Cello (1957-1958), Peters
  • Solo for Clarinet (1957-1958), Peters
  • Solo for Double Bass (1957-1958), Peters
  • Solo for Flute (1957-1958), Peters
  • Solo for Piano (1957-1958), Peters
  • Solo for Sliding Trombone (1957-1958), Peters
  • Solo for Trumpet (1957-1958), Peters
  • Solo for Tuba (1957-1958), Peters
  • Solo for Viola (1957-1958), Peters
  • Solo for Violin (1957-1958), Peters
  • TV Köln for piano and other sound sources ad libitum (1958), variable, Peters
  • Duet for Cymbale part of Cartridge Music (1960)
  • elec Music for Amplified Toy Pianos for toy pianos (1960), Peters
  • Piano Duet for piano (1960)
  • elec Music for Piano 85 for piano with live electronics (1962), Inédit
  • Sonata for clarinet for clarinet (1963, 1933), 6 mn, Peters
  • elec Electronic Music for Piano for one or more pianos, with electronics (1964), Peters
  • elec Music for Carillon No. 4 for electronic instrument with accompaniment (1961-1966), Peters
  • Music for Carillon No. 5 for four-octave carillon with 47 bells (1967), Peters
  • elec Adaptation of some "Studies pour Player Piano" (Conlon Nancarrow) for piano and live electronics (1969), partition perdue
  • Cheap Imitation for piano (1969), 35 mn, Peters
  • Untitled piece for Antoinette Vischer, for harpsichord (1969), Inédit
  • Untitled (work for Joan Miró) for piano (1970), Inédit
  • elec 52/3 for piano and electronics? (1972), 52 mn, pas d'éditeur
  • Child of tree for percussion using amplified plant material (1975), 8 mn, Peters
  • Études australes for piano (1974-1975), Peters
  • elec Branches for percussion with amplified plant material, in duo, trio or orchestra (1976), 8 mn, Peters
  • Imitations II for clarinet (1976), Peters
  • Cheap Imitation for violin (1977), 35 mn, Peters
  • Chorals for solo violin (1978), Peters
  • Etudes boréales for percussionist using a piano (1978), pas d'éditeur
  • Études boréales I-IV for cello and/or piano (1978), between 15 mn and 20 mn, Peters
  • Some of “The Harmony of Maine” for organist with three assistants (1978), 45 mn about , Peters
  • Freeman Etudes two times sixteen studies for solo violin (1977-1980, 1989-1990), variable, Peters
  • Postcard from Heaven for one to twenty harps (1982), Peters
  • R/13 (where R=Rioanji) for percussionist with thirteen found objects (1983)
  • Ryoanji for percussion (1983), Peters
  • Souvenir for organ (1983), Peters
  • Haikai for flute and zoomoozophone (1984), 15 mn, Peters
  • Perpetual Tango for piano (1984), Peters
  • Eight Whikus for violin (1985), 7 mn, Peters
  • ASLSP for piano or organ solo (1987-1985), variable, Peters
  • One for solo piano (1987), 10 mn, Peters
  • Organ2/ASLSP for organ (1987), Peters
  • One2 for one to four pianos (1989), Peters
  • Sports: Swinging for piano (1989), 2 mn, Peters
  • One4 for percussionist with ten cymbals and / or drums (1990), 6 mn 59 s, Peters
  • One5 for piano (1990), 20 mn 40 s, Peters
  • One6 for violin (1990), 46 mn 50 s, Peters
  • elec The Beatles 1962-1970 for piano and tape (1990), 8 mn, pas d'éditeur
  • Haikai for flute and zoomoozophone (1991), 8 mn
  • Lullaby for music box (1991), autre
  • One8 for cello (1991), 43 mn 30 s, Peters
  • One9 for shô (1991), maximum 2 h, Peters
  • One10 for violin (1992), 24 mn 30 s, Peters
  • elec One13 for a cello and recording of three cellos (1992), 12 mn, Inédit
• Chamber music
  • Sonata for Two Voices for two or more instruments, on specific scales (1933), 6 mn, Peters
  • Composition for Three Voices for three unspecified instruments (1934), 4 mn, Peters
  • Duet for Two Flutes for two flutes (1934), Inédit
  • Six Short Inventions for alto flute, clarinet, trumpet, violin, two violas and cello (1934, 1958), 7 mn, Peters
  • Solo with Obligato Accompaniment of Two Voices in Canon, and 6 Short Inventions on the Subject of the Solo for minimum three instruments, on the g-g scale (1933-1934), 15 mn, Peters
  • Quartet for percussion (1935), 20 mn, Peters
  • Three Pieces for Flute Duet for two flutes (1935), 6 mn, Peters
  • String Quartet for string quartet in scordatura (1936), pas d'éditeur
  • Trio for three percussionists (1936), 12 mn, Peters
  • Music for Wind Instruments for wind quintet (1938), 8 mn, Peters
  • First Construction in Metal percussion sextet with an assistant using chimes (1939), 9 mn, Peters
  • elec Imaginary Landscape No.1 for two variable-speed phono turntables, frequency recordings, muted piano and cymbal (1939), 6 mn, Peters
  • Marriage at the Eiffel Tower for two pianos partly for four hands, various whistles, toys and sirens (1939), Inédit
  • Dance Music: for Elfrid Ide for six percussionists (1940), 15 mn, Inédit
  • Fads and Fancies in the Academy for five performers (1940), 17 mn, Peters
  • elec Imaginary Landscape No. 2 first version, for constant and variable frequency discs, piano and percussion (1940), Inédit
  • Living room music for percussion and speech quartet with or without instrumental solo (1940), 8 mn, Peters
  • Second Construction for percussion ensemble (1940), 6 mn, Peters
  • Double Music for percussion quartet (1941), 6 mn, Peters
  • Third Construction for four percussionists (1941), 15 mn, Peters
  • elec Credo in Us for four performers (1942), 12 mn, Peters
  • Imaginary landscape No 3 for percussion sextet (1942), 3 mn, Peters
  • Imaginary Landscape No. 2, March n° 1 for percussion quintet (1942), 7 mn, Peters
  • Amores for prepared piano and three percussionists (1943), 9 mn, Peters
  • A Book of Music for two prepared pianos (1944), 30 mn, Peters
  • Arrangement of ‘Socrate’ (Erik Satie) for two pianos (1944, 1947), 35 mn, Eschig
  • Experiences I for two pianos four hands (1945), 3 mn, Peters
  • Three Dances for two prepared pianos (1944-1945), 21 mn, Peters [program note]
  • Prelude for 6 Instruments in A Minor for piano, flute, bassoon, trumpet, violin and cello (1946), 5 mn, Inédit
  • Nocturne for violin and piano for violin and piano (1947), 4 mn, Peters
  • Six melodies for violin and piano (1950), 15 mn, Peters
  • String Quartet in Four Parts (1949-1950), 20 mn, Peters
  • Adaptation of ‘Ixion’ de Morton Feldman for chamber orchestra or for two pianos (1958), Peters
  • elec Music Walk for one or more pianists with radios and producing auxiliary sounds by singing or otherwise (1958), variable, Peters
  • Socrate, Portrait de Socrate for two pianos (1968, 1947), 20 mn, Eschig
  • Inlets Improvisation II, for three performers playing seashells filled with water and one performer playing a shell in circular breathing and with the sound of fire (1977), Peters
  • Furniture Music Etcetera for two pianos (1980), 20 mn, Inédit
  • Thirty pieces for string quartet for string quartet (1983), 30 mn 15 s, Peters
  • Thirteen Harmonies for violin and keyboard (1985), 38 mn, Peters
  • elec Vis-à-vis for two performers using records, photos, films and piano (1986)
  • Two for flute and piano (1987), 10 mn, Peters
  • Five for five voices and/or instruments (1988), between 4 mn 15 s and 5 mn, Peters
  • elec Five Stone Wind for three performers, one with a clay drum, the others with unspecified instruments and electronics (1988), 60 mn, Peters
  • Seven for seven instruments (1988), 20 mn, Peters
  • Four for string quartet (1989), between 20 mn and 30 mn, Peters
  • Three for three recorders players (1989), Peters
  • Two2 for two pianos (1989), Peters
  • Five2 for English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet and timpani (1991), between 4 mn 15 s and 5 mn, Peters
  • Five3 for trombone and string quartet (1991), between 39 mn 30 s and 40 mn, Peters
  • Five4 for soprano saxophone, alto saxophone and three percussionists (1991), between 4 mn 45 s and 5 mn, Peters
  • Five5 for flute, two clarinets, bass clarinet and percussionist using five instruments (1991), between 4 mn 45 s and 5 mn, Peters
  • Four3 for four performers (1 or 2 pianos, rainsticks, violin or oscillator, silence) (1991), 30 mn, Peters
  • Four4 for percussionist quartet (1991), 1 h 12 mn, Peters
  • Four5 for four saxophones (1991), 12 mn, Peters
  • Six for six percussionists (1991), 3 mn, Peters
  • Three2 for three percussionists (1991), 9 mn, Peters
  • elec Two3 for shō and five amplified seashells (1991), between 60 s and 2 h, Peters
  • Two4 for violin and piano or shō (1991), 30 mn, Peters
  • Two5 for piano and tenor trombone (1991), 40 mn, Peters
  • Four6 for four performers with any sound sources (1990-1992), 30 mn, Peters
  • Two6 for violin and piano (1992), 20 mn, Peters
• Instrumental ensemble music
  • stage The Seasons ballet in one act, for solo piano or orchestra (1947), 15 mn, Peters
  • Sixteen Dances for soloist and company of three (1950-1951), 53 mn, Peters [program note]
  • Concert for Piano and Orchestra (1957-1958), variable, Peters
  • elec Cartridge Music for small amplified sounds (1960), variable, Peters
  • elec Atlas Eclipticalis for one to eighty six instruments with live electronics ad libitum (1961-1962), 14 mn, Peters
  • elec HPSCHD for more than seven harpsichords and fifty-one tapes (1967-1969), Peters
  • Cheap Imitation orchestral version (1972), 35 mn, Peters
  • elec Etcetera for ensemble with three conductors and magnetic tape with environmental sounds (1973), maximum 1 h 30 mn, Peters
  • Exercise for orchestra made up of an undetermined number of soloists (1973, 1984), Inédit
  • Quartets I-VIII for twenty-four instrumentalists (1976), 40 mn, Peters
  • Quartets I-VIII for orchestra of ninety-three performers (1976), 40 mn, Peters
  • Quartets I-VIII for chamber orchestra of forty one performers (1976), 40 mn, Peters
  • Thirty Pieces for Five Orchestras for orchestra divided into five groups and radio or radios ad libitum (1981), 30 mn 15 s, Peters
  • Alphabet Dance / 4 Orchestras , radio piece for orchestra divided into four groups (1982), between 18 mn and 30 mn, Peters
  • But What About the Noise of Crumpling Paper... for three to ten percussionists (1985), Peters
  • Etcetera 2/4 Orchestras for four orchestral groups (1985), 30 mn, Peters
  • Haikai for gamelan (eight performers) (1986), 20 mn, Peters
  • elec stage Europeras 1 & 2 for voice(s) and chamber orchestra (1985-1987), 4 h 15 mn, Peters
  • 1O1 for orchestra (1988), 12 mn, Peters
  • Twenty-Three for string ensemble (1988), 23 mn, Peters
  • Fourteen for ensemble (1990), 20 mn, Peters
  • Seven2 for seven instruments (1990), 52 mn, Peters
  • 103 for orchestra (1991), 1 h 30 mn, Peters
  • 108 for orchestra (1991), 43 mn 30 s, Peters
  • Eight for eight instruments (1991), 60 mn, Peters
  • Ten for ten instrumentalists (1991), 30 mn, Peters
  • Twenty-eight for twenty-eight wind instruments (1991), 28 mn, Peters
  • Twenty-nine for two timpani, two percussionists, piano and low strings (1991), 29 mn, Peters
  • Twenty-six for twenty-six violins (1991), 26 mn, Peters
  • Twenty-six, Twenty-eight, Twenty-nine for orchestra (1991), 29 mn, Peters
  • Eighty for orchestra of eighty musicians (1992), 30 mn, Peters
  • Fifty-Eight for fifty-eight wind instruments (1992), between 44 mn 45 s and 45 mn, Peters
  • Seventeen for seventeen instruments (1992)
  • Seventy-Four for orchestra of seventy-four instrumentalists (1992), 12 mn, Peters
  • Sixteen for sixteen instruments (1992), Inédit
  • Sixty-Eight for orchestra of sixty-eight instrumentalists (1992), 30 mn, Peters
  • Thirteen for thirteen instrumentalists (1992), 30 mn, Peters
• Concertant music
  • Concerto for Prepared Piano for prepared piano and chamber orchestra (1951), 21 mn, Peters [program note]
• Vocal music and instrument(s)
  • Greek Ode for voice and piano (1932), 12 mn, Inédit
  • Three Songs for Voice and Piano for voice and piano or solo piano (1933), 3 mn, Peters
  • Five Songs for Contralto for voice and piano (1938), 8 mn, Peters
  • Ho to AA for voice and piano (1939), partition perdue
  • America Was Promises for narrator and piano for four hands or two pianos (1940), 40 mn, pas d'éditeur
  • Forever and Sunsmell for voice and two percussionists (1942), 5 mn, Peters
  • The City Wears a Slouch Hat for narrator and four, five or six percussionists (1942), 36 mn, Peters
  • The Wonderful Widow of Eighteen Springs for voice and piano (1942), 2 mn, Peters
  • Four Dances For prepared piano, percussion, and tenor voice (wordless). (1942-1943), 20 mn, Peters
  • She is asleep first part for percussion quartet, second part for voice and prepared piano (1943), 12 mn, Peters
  • stage Four Walls for piano and voice (1944), 52 mn, Peters
  • A Flower for voice and closed piano (1950), 4 mn, Peters
  • elec Indeterminacy for voice, piano and tape (1959)
  • elec Mewantemooseicday for loudspeakers, singers, pianos, orchestra, record players and audience (1969), pas d'éditeur
  • Apartment House 1776 for four singers with an undetermined number of instrumentalists, with piano or melodic instrument and a drum ad lib. (1976), Peters
  • elec Quartets I, V, VI for twelve amplified voices and wind ensemble and timpani (1976-1977), 13 mn, Peters
  • elec Sounday radiophonic piece for violin, piano, voice, nine performers with amplified plant materials and water-filled conch shells, blown conch shells and tape. (1977-1978), 10 h, Inédit
  • A Collection of Rocks for choir and orchestra (1984), 20 mn, Peters
  • Nowth Upon Nacht for voice and piano (1984), 60 s, Peters
  • Ryoanji solos for oboe, flute, double bass, voice, trombone with percussion or orchestra obbligato (1983-1985), Peters
  • elec The First Meeting of the Satie Society for two speakers, singer with ensemble and/or tape (1984-1985), variable, Inédit
  • Hymnkus for any solo from or combination of voice and ensemble (1986), 30 mn, Peters
  • Improvisation A+B for voice and ensemble (1985-1986), 1 h 30 mn, Inédit
  • Music for ________ for voice, flute, oboe, clarinet, trumpet, horn, trombone, percussion, piano, violin, viola, cello (1984-1987), maximum 30 mn, Peters
  • elec Europera 3 for six singers, two pianos, six victrola players (1990), 1 h 10 mn, Peters
  • elec Europera 4 for soprano, mezzo-soprano, solo piano and a victrola player (1990), 30 mn, Peters
  • Scottish Circus for Scottish or Irish voices and instruments (1990), 30 mn about , Peters
  • elec stage Europera 5 For two singers, piano, tape machine operator, and lighting technician (1991), 60 mn, Peters
• A cappella vocal music
  • A Chant with Claps for voice and hand clapping (1940), Inédit
  • Experiences II for solo voice (1948), 4 mn, Peters
  • Lecture on Nothing rhythmically structured speech with silences (1950), 20 mn
  • Lecture on Something rhythmically structured speech with silences (1951)
  • 45' for a Speaker (1953), 45 mn, Inédit
  • Unfinished composition for voice for voice (1953), Inédit
  • elec Speech for narrator and five radios (1955), variable, Peters
  • Aria for voice (1958), 12 mn, Peters
  • Communication for narrator (1958)
  • Solo for voice I for solo voice or as part of the Concert for piano and orchestra (1958), variable, Peters
  • Solo for voice 2 for voice or choir (1960), Peters
  • Lecture on Commitment for voice (1961)
  • How to pass kick, fall and run for a speaker (1965)
  • 36 Mesostics Re and not Re Marcel Duchamp (1970)
  • Dialog or Dialogue, action for two people (1970), Inédit
  • elec Mureau for narrator (s) and magnetic tapes (1970), autre
  • elec Song Books solos for voices n°1 to 92, for an unspecified number of voices, theatrical action, with or without electronics (1970), 27 mn, Peters
  • elec Sixty-two mesostics Re Merce Cunningham for voice with microphone (1971), between 7 mn 30 s and 3 h, Peters
  • elec Lecture on the Weather for twelve amplified speakers (singing voices and / or instruments), magnetic tape and film (1975), between 22 mn 45 s and 36 mn 24 s, Peters
  • Empty Words for voice (1973-1978), Inédit
  • elec Letters to Erik Satie for voice and cassette (1978)
  • Hymns and Variations for twelve amplified voices (1979), 28 mn, Peters
  • Litany for the whale recitation and thirty-two answers for two equal voices without vibrato (1980), 25 mn, Peters
  • Themes and Variations for a speaker (1980)
  • Ear for EAR (Antiphonies) for two or more separate voices, one visible and the other invisible (1983), 4 mn, Peters
  • Mushrooms “et variationes” for a speaker (1983)
  • Eight Whiskus for voice (1984), 4 mn, Peters
  • Mirakus 2 for voice (1984), 9 mn, Peters
  • Selkus 2 for voice (1984), 9 mn, Peters
  • Sonnekus 2 for voice (1985), 6 mn, Peters
  • Wishing Well for four speakers (1986), 30 mn, Peters
  • Anarchy for voice (1988)
  • I-VI for mesostic voice with different sound sources (1988)
  • Solos for Voice 93-96 four solos for voice, for solo or combination of soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor and bass (1988), 15 mn, Peters
  • Time (Three Autokus) three texts for narrator (1988)
  • Stufen: an Autoku for Siegfried Unseld for voice (1989)
  • Four2 for choir (1990), 7 mn, Peters
  • elec Muoyce No. 2 for narrator with six recordings of traffic sounds from different cities (1992), 60 mn about , autre
  • One12 for narrator (1992), Peters
• Electronic music / fixed media / mechanical musical instruments
  • elec Imaginary Landscape No. 4 (March No. 2) for twelve radios (twenty-four players and conductor) (1951), 4 mn, Peters
  • Imaginary Landscape No. 5 for any forty-two recordings and 8 magnetic tapes (1952), 4 mn, Peters
  • elec Williams Mix for magnetic tape (1952), 4 mn 15 s, Peters
  • Unfinished composition for Magnetic Tape for magnetic tape (1953), Inédit
  • elec Radio Music for one to eight performers each at one radio (1956), 6 mn, Peters
  • elec Fontana mix for magnetic tape (1958), variable, Peters
  • elec Sounds of Venice for solo TV performer (1959), 3 mn, Peters
  • elec Water walk for solo TV performer (1959), 3 mn, Peters
  • elec Music for “The Marrying Maiden” for magnetic tape (1960), 9 mn, Peters
  • elec Where Are We Going? And What Are We Doing? for magnetic tapes (1961), 60 mn, Peters
  • elec Collage of some 'Studies pour Player Piano' (Conlon Nancarrow) for tape (1964)
  • elec Rozart mix correspondence and notes, for magnetic tape, for a minimum of four performers with a minimum of twelve tape recorders and a minimum of eighty-eight loop recordings (1965), Peters
  • elec Variations VI for several amplified sound sources (1966), variable, Peters
  • elec Newport Mix for invited audience, each person producing a loop recording (1967), Inédit
  • elec Assemblage for magnetic tape (1968), 59 mn
  • elec 33 1/3 installation in which the audience is participating, with twelve disks, twelve amplifiers, twelve pairs of loudspeakers and approximately three hundred disks (1969), Peters
  • elec Program (KNOBS) for the Listener instructions for controlling the volume, treble and bass of the left and right channels of a preamp for listening to the HPSCHD record (1969), 21 mn, pas d'éditeur
  • elec Bird Cage For twelve pre-recorded tapes to be distributed by a single performer in a space in which people are free to move and birds to fly (1972), Peters
  • elec Address for five musicians with tape recorders, cassettes and records operated by the public and an electric bell (1977)
  • elec Cassette for five performers with five tape recorders and an undetermined number of magnetic tapes (1977), 40 mn
  • elec Telephones and Birds for three performers using telephones and bird recordings or other recordings (1977), Peters
  • elec ircam Roaratorio: An Irish Circus on Finnegans Wake radio program for electronic recordings, voice and Irish folk musicians (1979), 60 mn, Peters [program note]
  • elec Silent Environment sound installation (1979), Inédit
  • elec Improvisation No. 3 for four or more musicians, each with the same six stereo cassettes of music or sound of the same kind (1980), Peters
  • elec Fifteen Domestic Minutes nine-part radio piece (1982), 15 mn, Inédit
  • elec Improvisation No. 4 for three performers with tape recorders equipped with a device created by John Fulleman and twelve cassettes of music or sounds of two different types (1980, 1982), Peters
  • elec Instances of Silence for an unspecified number of tape recorders with recordings of sounds from the environment (1982), Inédit
  • elec Klassik nach Wunsch Radio happening (1982), Inédit
  • elec HMCIEX radio program (1983-1984), 29 mn, Inédit
  • elec Writing Through On The Duty of Civil Disobedience installation with eighteen cassette recordings (1985)
  • elec Rocks for combination of electronic instruments (1986), Inédit
  • elec Truckera for tape (1987), Inédit
  • elec Voiceless Essays for four computer generated tapes (1985-1987), 16 mn 49 s
  • elec Essay for computer generated tapes (1987-1988), between 14 mn 4 s and 16 mn 49 s, Peters
  • elec Sculptures musicales for a combination of sounds forming a sound sculpture (1989), Peters
  • elec Five Hanau Silence for tapes (Hanau recordings in specific days, times and locations) (1991)
  • elec Mozart Mix sound installation for five cassette tape recorders, twenty-five cassettes / tape-loops and silkscreen printing (1991), Inédit
  • One11 for solo cameraman (1992), 1 h 30 mn, Peters
• Unspecified instrumentation
  • Music for an Aquatic Ballet (1938), partition perdue
  • stage 25 Ballets in 1 acte for a solo dancer (1939), partition perdue
  • Fourth Construction unfinished (1942), pas d'éditeur
  • 4'33" for any instrument or combination of instruments (1952), 4 mn 33 s, Peters [program note]
  • Haiku for any sound source (1958), Inédit
  • Variations I for any instrument (s) or sound source (s) (1958), variable, Peters
  • stage Theatre Piece for one to eight performers (1960), Peters
  • WBAI for an interpreter with one to four machines (1960), variable, Peters
  • Variations II for any instrument(s) or sound source(s) (1961), variable, Peters
  • elec 0'00” (4'33" No.2) for a performer with amplification producing actions (1962), Peters
  • Variations III for an unspecified number of performers producing actions (1962-1963), Peters
  • Variations IV for an unspecified number of performers, sounds or combinations of sounds produced or not by activities (1963), Peters
  • elec Variations V for performers with photocells and a minimum of thirteen amplified sound sources (1965), Peters
  • Variations VII 7 statements re a performance six years before , for performers picking up sounds from the environment at the time of performance and using photocells and a large number of amplified sound sources (1966), Inédit
  • Music for “Museum Event No. 5" (1967), partition perdue
  • Musicircus for an unspecified number of interpreters prepared to play in the same place (1967), Inédit
  • elec 0'00” No. 2 for two or more players on an amplified gaming table with contact microphones (1968)
  • elec Reunion chess game played in an electronic board prepared with photoreceptors, eight amplifiers and speakers (1968), 5 h about , pas d'éditeur
  • Variations VIII for an unspecified number of musicians playing with what they find on the spot (1968, 1978), 12 mn, Peters
  • Sound Anonymously Receive for an unsolicited instrument (1969), Inédit
  • First Week of June (1970), partition perdue
  • Demonstration of the Sounds of the Environment for three hundred people silently walking a random walk on the campus of the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee (1971)
  • Les chants de Maldoror pulvérisés par l'assistance même two hundred pages for a French-speaking audience of no more than two hundred people (1971), 1 mn 30 s, Peters
  • WGBH-TV for composers and technicians (1971), Peters
  • Three Pieces of Furniture Music (1972), pas d'éditeur
  • Music for “Westbeth” (1974)
  • elec Score (40 Drawings by Thoreau) and 23 parts for twenty-three instrumentalist and / or singers and magnetic tape (1974), Peters
  • Renga seventy-eight parts to be performed alone or with Apartment House 1776 (1975-1976), between 30 mn and 40 mn, Peters
  • 49 Waltzes for the five Boroughs for performer(s), listener(s), or disc(s) (1977), Peters
  • A la ricerca del silenzio perduto for prepared train (1977), autre
  • A Dip in the Lake: Ten Quicksteps, Sixty-two Waltzes, and Fifty-six Marches for Chicago and Vicinity for performers or listeners or record makers (1978), Peters
  • Pools for an amplified musician, shell filled with water and the sound of fire (1978)
  • Circus On ways to turn a book into a performance without actors (1979), Peters
  • elec Concerto Grosso for four televisions and twelve radios (1979), Inédit
  • Paragraphs of Fresh Air for voices and four performers using any instrument and with eleven sound sources which are a combination of typewriters, cassettes, record players, microphones and telephone lines (1979), 2 h, Inédit
  • Evene/Environne METZment for an audience producing sounds and a performer moving chairs (1981), 60 mn, Inédit
  • A House Full of Music for a large number of music students, playing or singing their repertoire simultaneously (1982), 1 h 30 mn, Peters
  • Musicircus for Children for a large number of children singing or playing simultaneously (1984), Inédit
  • One3 for any instrument (1989), Inédit
  • Composed Improvisations for solo or combination of timbre drum, Steinberger bass guitar and tambourine (1987-1990), 8 mn, Peters
  • One7 for performer using indeterminate sounds (1990), 30 mn, Peters

• 1992
  • Eighty for orchestra of eighty musicians, 30 mn, Peters
  • Fifty-Eight for fifty-eight wind instruments, between 44 mn 45 s and 45 mn, Peters
  • Four6 for four performers with any sound sources, 30 mn, Peters
  • elec Muoyce No. 2 for narrator with six recordings of traffic sounds from different cities, 60 mn about , autre
  • One10 for violin, 24 mn 30 s, Peters
  • One11 for solo cameraman, 1 h 30 mn, Peters
  • One12 for narrator, Peters
  • elec One13 for a cello and recording of three cellos, 12 mn, Inédit
  • Seventeen for seventeen instruments
  • Seventy-Four for orchestra of seventy-four instrumentalists, 12 mn, Peters
  • Sixteen for sixteen instruments, Inédit
  • Sixty-Eight for orchestra of sixty-eight instrumentalists, 30 mn, Peters
  • Thirteen for thirteen instrumentalists, 30 mn, Peters
  • Two6 for violin and piano, 20 mn, Peters
• 1991
  • 103 for orchestra, 1 h 30 mn, Peters
  • 108 for orchestra, 43 mn 30 s, Peters
  • Eight for eight instruments, 60 mn, Peters
  • elec stage Europera 5 For two singers, piano, tape machine operator, and lighting technician, 60 mn, Peters
  • elec Five Hanau Silence for tapes (Hanau recordings in specific days, times and locations)
  • Five2 for English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet and timpani, between 4 mn 15 s and 5 mn, Peters
  • Five3 for trombone and string quartet, between 39 mn 30 s and 40 mn, Peters
  • Five4 for soprano saxophone, alto saxophone and three percussionists, between 4 mn 45 s and 5 mn, Peters
  • Five5 for flute, two clarinets, bass clarinet and percussionist using five instruments, between 4 mn 45 s and 5 mn, Peters
  • Four3 for four performers (1 or 2 pianos, rainsticks, violin or oscillator, silence), 30 mn, Peters
  • Four4 for percussionist quartet, 1 h 12 mn, Peters
  • Four5 for four saxophones, 12 mn, Peters
  • Haikai for flute and zoomoozophone, 8 mn
  • Lullaby for music box, autre
  • elec Mozart Mix sound installation for five cassette tape recorders, twenty-five cassettes / tape-loops and silkscreen printing, Inédit
  • One8 for cello, 43 mn 30 s, Peters
  • One9 for shô, maximum 2 h, Peters
  • Six for six percussionists, 3 mn, Peters
  • Ten for ten instrumentalists, 30 mn, Peters
  • Three2 for three percussionists, 9 mn, Peters
  • Twenty-eight for twenty-eight wind instruments, 28 mn, Peters
  • Twenty-nine for two timpani, two percussionists, piano and low strings, 29 mn, Peters
  • Twenty-six for twenty-six violins, 26 mn, Peters
  • Twenty-six, Twenty-eight, Twenty-nine for orchestra, 29 mn, Peters
  • elec Two3 for shō and five amplified seashells, between 60 s and 2 h, Peters
  • Two4 for violin and piano or shō, 30 mn, Peters
  • Two5 for piano and tenor trombone, 40 mn, Peters
• 1990
  • Composed Improvisations for solo or combination of timbre drum, Steinberger bass guitar and tambourine, 8 mn, Peters
  • elec Europera 3 for six singers, two pianos, six victrola players, 1 h 10 mn, Peters
  • elec Europera 4 for soprano, mezzo-soprano, solo piano and a victrola player, 30 mn, Peters
  • Four2 for choir, 7 mn, Peters
  • Fourteen for ensemble, 20 mn, Peters
  • One4 for percussionist with ten cymbals and / or drums, 6 mn 59 s, Peters
  • One5 for piano, 20 mn 40 s, Peters
  • One6 for violin, 46 mn 50 s, Peters
  • One7 for performer using indeterminate sounds, 30 mn, Peters
  • Scottish Circus for Scottish or Irish voices and instruments, 30 mn about , Peters
  • Seven2 for seven instruments, 52 mn, Peters
  • elec The Beatles 1962-1970 for piano and tape, 8 mn, pas d'éditeur
• 1989
  • Four for string quartet, between 20 mn and 30 mn, Peters
  • One2 for one to four pianos, Peters
  • One3 for any instrument, Inédit
  • elec Sculptures musicales for a combination of sounds forming a sound sculpture, Peters
  • Sports: Swinging for piano, 2 mn, Peters
  • Stufen: an Autoku for Siegfried Unseld for voice
  • Three for three recorders players, Peters
  • Two2 for two pianos, Peters
• 1988
  • 1O1 for orchestra, 12 mn, Peters
  • Anarchy for voice
  • elec Essay for computer generated tapes, between 14 mn 4 s and 16 mn 49 s, Peters
  • Five for five voices and/or instruments, between 4 mn 15 s and 5 mn, Peters
  • elec Five Stone Wind for three performers, one with a clay drum, the others with unspecified instruments and electronics, 60 mn, Peters
  • I-VI for mesostic voice with different sound sources
  • Seven for seven instruments, 20 mn, Peters
  • Solos for Voice 93-96 four solos for voice, for solo or combination of soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor and bass, 15 mn, Peters
  • Time (Three Autokus) three texts for narrator
  • Twenty-Three for string ensemble, 23 mn, Peters
• 1987
  • ASLSP for piano or organ solo, variable, Peters
  • elec stage Europeras 1 & 2 for voice(s) and chamber orchestra, 4 h 15 mn, Peters
  • Music for ________ for voice, flute, oboe, clarinet, trumpet, horn, trombone, percussion, piano, violin, viola, cello, maximum 30 mn, Peters
  • One for solo piano, 10 mn, Peters
  • Organ2/ASLSP for organ, Peters
  • elec Truckera for tape, Inédit
  • Two for flute and piano, 10 mn, Peters
  • elec Voiceless Essays for four computer generated tapes, 16 mn 49 s
• 1986
  • Haikai for gamelan (eight performers), 20 mn, Peters
  • Hymnkus for any solo from or combination of voice and ensemble, 30 mn, Peters
  • Improvisation A+B for voice and ensemble, 1 h 30 mn, Inédit
  • elec Rocks for combination of electronic instruments, Inédit
  • elec Vis-à-vis for two performers using records, photos, films and piano
  • Wishing Well for four speakers, 30 mn, Peters
• 1985
  • But What About the Noise of Crumpling Paper... for three to ten percussionists, Peters
  • Eight Whikus for violin, 7 mn, Peters
  • Etcetera 2/4 Orchestras for four orchestral groups, 30 mn, Peters
  • Ryoanji solos for oboe, flute, double bass, voice, trombone with percussion or orchestra obbligato, Peters
  • Sonnekus 2 for voice, 6 mn, Peters
  • elec The First Meeting of the Satie Society for two speakers, singer with ensemble and/or tape, variable, Inédit
  • Thirteen Harmonies for violin and keyboard, 38 mn, Peters
  • elec Writing Through On The Duty of Civil Disobedience installation with eighteen cassette recordings
• 1984
  • A Collection of Rocks for choir and orchestra, 20 mn, Peters
  • Eight Whiskus for voice, 4 mn, Peters
  • elec HMCIEX radio program, 29 mn, Inédit
  • Haikai for flute and zoomoozophone, 15 mn, Peters
  • Mirakus 2 for voice, 9 mn, Peters
  • Musicircus for Children for a large number of children singing or playing simultaneously, Inédit
  • Nowth Upon Nacht for voice and piano, 60 s, Peters
  • Perpetual Tango for piano, Peters
  • Selkus 2 for voice, 9 mn, Peters
• 1983
  • Ear for EAR (Antiphonies) for two or more separate voices, one visible and the other invisible, 4 mn, Peters
  • Mushrooms “et variationes” for a speaker
  • R/13 (where R=Rioanji) for percussionist with thirteen found objects
  • Ryoanji for percussion, Peters
  • Souvenir for organ, Peters
  • Thirty pieces for string quartet for string quartet, 30 mn 15 s, Peters
• 1982
  • A House Full of Music for a large number of music students, playing or singing their repertoire simultaneously, 1 h 30 mn, Peters
  • Alphabet Dance / 4 Orchestras , radio piece for orchestra divided into four groups, between 18 mn and 30 mn, Peters
  • elec Fifteen Domestic Minutes nine-part radio piece, 15 mn, Inédit
  • elec Improvisation No. 4 for three performers with tape recorders equipped with a device created by John Fulleman and twelve cassettes of music or sounds of two different types, Peters
  • elec Instances of Silence for an unspecified number of tape recorders with recordings of sounds from the environment, Inédit
  • elec Klassik nach Wunsch Radio happening, Inédit
  • Postcard from Heaven for one to twenty harps, Peters
• 1981
  • Evene/Environne METZment for an audience producing sounds and a performer moving chairs, 60 mn, Inédit
  • Thirty Pieces for Five Orchestras for orchestra divided into five groups and radio or radios ad libitum, 30 mn 15 s, Peters
• 1980
  • Freeman Etudes two times sixteen studies for solo violin, variable, Peters
  • Furniture Music Etcetera for two pianos, 20 mn, Inédit
  • elec Improvisation No. 3 for four or more musicians, each with the same six stereo cassettes of music or sound of the same kind, Peters
  • Litany for the whale recitation and thirty-two answers for two equal voices without vibrato, 25 mn, Peters
  • Themes and Variations for a speaker
• 1979
  • Circus On ways to turn a book into a performance without actors, Peters
  • elec Concerto Grosso for four televisions and twelve radios, Inédit
  • Hymns and Variations for twelve amplified voices, 28 mn, Peters
  • Paragraphs of Fresh Air for voices and four performers using any instrument and with eleven sound sources which are a combination of typewriters, cassettes, record players, microphones and telephone lines, 2 h, Inédit
  • elec ircam Roaratorio: An Irish Circus on Finnegans Wake radio program for electronic recordings, voice and Irish folk musicians, 60 mn, Peters [program note]
  • elec Silent Environment sound installation, Inédit
• 1978
  • A Dip in the Lake: Ten Quicksteps, Sixty-two Waltzes, and Fifty-six Marches for Chicago and Vicinity for performers or listeners or record makers, Peters
  • Chorals for solo violin, Peters
  • Empty Words for voice, Inédit
  • Etudes boréales for percussionist using a piano, pas d'éditeur
  • elec Letters to Erik Satie for voice and cassette
  • Pools for an amplified musician, shell filled with water and the sound of fire
  • Some of “The Harmony of Maine” for organist with three assistants, 45 mn about , Peters
  • elec Sounday radiophonic piece for violin, piano, voice, nine performers with amplified plant materials and water-filled conch shells, blown conch shells and tape., 10 h, Inédit
  • Études boréales I-IV for cello and/or piano, between 15 mn and 20 mn, Peters
• 1977
  • 49 Waltzes for the five Boroughs for performer(s), listener(s), or disc(s), Peters
  • A la ricerca del silenzio perduto for prepared train, autre
  • elec Address for five musicians with tape recorders, cassettes and records operated by the public and an electric bell
  • elec Cassette for five performers with five tape recorders and an undetermined number of magnetic tapes, 40 mn
  • Cheap Imitation for violin, 35 mn, Peters
  • Inlets Improvisation II, for three performers playing seashells filled with water and one performer playing a shell in circular breathing and with the sound of fire, Peters
  • elec Quartets I, V, VI for twelve amplified voices and wind ensemble and timpani, 13 mn, Peters
  • elec Telephones and Birds for three performers using telephones and bird recordings or other recordings, Peters
• 1976
  • Apartment House 1776 for four singers with an undetermined number of instrumentalists, with piano or melodic instrument and a drum ad lib., Peters
  • elec Branches for percussion with amplified plant material, in duo, trio or orchestra, 8 mn, Peters
  • Imitations II for clarinet, Peters
  • Quartets I-VIII for twenty-four instrumentalists, 40 mn, Peters
  • Quartets I-VIII for orchestra of ninety-three performers, 40 mn, Peters
  • Quartets I-VIII for chamber orchestra of forty one performers, 40 mn, Peters
  • Renga seventy-eight parts to be performed alone or with Apartment House 1776, between 30 mn and 40 mn, Peters
• 1975
  • Child of tree for percussion using amplified plant material, 8 mn, Peters
  • elec Lecture on the Weather for twelve amplified speakers (singing voices and / or instruments), magnetic tape and film, between 22 mn 45 s and 36 mn 24 s, Peters
  • Études australes for piano, Peters
• 1974
  • Music for “Westbeth”
  • elec Score (40 Drawings by Thoreau) and 23 parts for twenty-three instrumentalist and / or singers and magnetic tape, Peters
• 1973
  • elec Etcetera for ensemble with three conductors and magnetic tape with environmental sounds, maximum 1 h 30 mn, Peters
  • Exercise for orchestra made up of an undetermined number of soloists, Inédit
• 1972
  • elec 52/3 for piano and electronics?, 52 mn, pas d'éditeur
  • elec Bird Cage For twelve pre-recorded tapes to be distributed by a single performer in a space in which people are free to move and birds to fly, Peters
  • Cheap Imitation orchestral version, 35 mn, Peters
  • Three Pieces of Furniture Music, pas d'éditeur
• 1971
  • Demonstration of the Sounds of the Environment for three hundred people silently walking a random walk on the campus of the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
  • Les chants de Maldoror pulvérisés par l'assistance même two hundred pages for a French-speaking audience of no more than two hundred people, 1 mn 30 s, Peters
  • elec Sixty-two mesostics Re Merce Cunningham for voice with microphone, between 7 mn 30 s and 3 h, Peters
  • WGBH-TV for composers and technicians, Peters
• 1970
  • 36 Mesostics Re and not Re Marcel Duchamp
  • Dialog or Dialogue, action for two people, Inédit
  • First Week of June, partition perdue
  • elec Mureau for narrator (s) and magnetic tapes, autre
  • elec Song Books solos for voices n°1 to 92, for an unspecified number of voices, theatrical action, with or without electronics, 27 mn, Peters
  • Untitled (work for Joan Miró) for piano, Inédit
• 1969
  • elec 33 1/3 installation in which the audience is participating, with twelve disks, twelve amplifiers, twelve pairs of loudspeakers and approximately three hundred disks, Peters
  • elec Adaptation of some "Studies pour Player Piano" (Conlon Nancarrow) for piano and live electronics, partition perdue
  • Cheap Imitation for piano, 35 mn, Peters
  • elec HPSCHD for more than seven harpsichords and fifty-one tapes, Peters
  • elec Mewantemooseicday for loudspeakers, singers, pianos, orchestra, record players and audience, pas d'éditeur
  • elec Program (KNOBS) for the Listener instructions for controlling the volume, treble and bass of the left and right channels of a preamp for listening to the HPSCHD record, 21 mn, pas d'éditeur
  • Sound Anonymously Receive for an unsolicited instrument, Inédit
  • Untitled piece for Antoinette Vischer, for harpsichord, Inédit
• 1968
  • elec 0'00” No. 2 for two or more players on an amplified gaming table with contact microphones
  • elec Assemblage for magnetic tape, 59 mn
  • elec Reunion chess game played in an electronic board prepared with photoreceptors, eight amplifiers and speakers, 5 h about , pas d'éditeur
  • Socrate, Portrait de Socrate for two pianos, 20 mn, Eschig
  • Variations VIII for an unspecified number of musicians playing with what they find on the spot, 12 mn, Peters
• 1967
  • Music for Carillon No. 5 for four-octave carillon with 47 bells, Peters
  • Music for “Museum Event No. 5", partition perdue
  • Musicircus for an unspecified number of interpreters prepared to play in the same place, Inédit
  • elec Newport Mix for invited audience, each person producing a loop recording, Inédit
• 1966
  • elec Music for Carillon No. 4 for electronic instrument with accompaniment, Peters
  • elec Variations VI for several amplified sound sources, variable, Peters
  • Variations VII 7 statements re a performance six years before , for performers picking up sounds from the environment at the time of performance and using photocells and a large number of amplified sound sources, Inédit
• 1965
  • How to pass kick, fall and run for a speaker
  • elec Rozart mix correspondence and notes, for magnetic tape, for a minimum of four performers with a minimum of twelve tape recorders and a minimum of eighty-eight loop recordings, Peters
  • elec Variations V for performers with photocells and a minimum of thirteen amplified sound sources, Peters
• 1964
  • elec Collage of some 'Studies pour Player Piano' (Conlon Nancarrow) for tape
  • elec Electronic Music for Piano for one or more pianos, with electronics, Peters
• 1963
  • Sonata for clarinet for clarinet, 6 mn, Peters
  • Variations III for an unspecified number of performers producing actions, Peters
  • Variations IV for an unspecified number of performers, sounds or combinations of sounds produced or not by activities, Peters
• 1962
  • elec 0'00” (4'33" No.2) for a performer with amplification producing actions, Peters
  • elec Atlas Eclipticalis for one to eighty six instruments with live electronics ad libitum, 14 mn, Peters
  • elec Music for Piano 85 for piano with live electronics, Inédit
• 1961
  • Lecture on Commitment for voice
  • Variations II for any instrument(s) or sound source(s), variable, Peters
  • elec Where Are We Going? And What Are We Doing? for magnetic tapes, 60 mn, Peters
• 1960
  • elec Cartridge Music for small amplified sounds, variable, Peters
  • Duet for Cymbale part of Cartridge Music
  • elec Music for Amplified Toy Pianos for toy pianos, Peters
  • elec Music for “The Marrying Maiden” for magnetic tape, 9 mn, Peters
  • Piano Duet for piano
  • Solo for voice 2 for voice or choir, Peters
  • stage Theatre Piece for one to eight performers, Peters
  • WBAI for an interpreter with one to four machines, variable, Peters
• 1959
  • elec Indeterminacy for voice, piano and tape
  • elec Sounds of Venice for solo TV performer, 3 mn, Peters
  • elec Water walk for solo TV performer, 3 mn, Peters
• 1958
  • Adaptation of ‘Ixion’ de Morton Feldman for chamber orchestra or for two pianos, Peters
  • Aria for voice, 12 mn, Peters
  • Communication for narrator
  • Concert for Piano and Orchestra, variable, Peters
  • elec Fontana mix for magnetic tape, variable, Peters
  • Haiku for any sound source, Inédit
  • elec Music Walk for one or more pianists with radios and producing auxiliary sounds by singing or otherwise, variable, Peters
  • elec Music for Carillon No. 4 for electronic chime with percussion and live electronics or magnetic tape, 10 mn, Peters
  • Solo for Bassoon, Peters
  • Solo for Cello, Peters
  • Solo for Clarinet, Peters
  • Solo for Double Bass, Peters
  • Solo for Flute, Peters
  • Solo for Piano, Peters
  • Solo for Sliding Trombone, Peters
  • Solo for Trumpet, Peters
  • Solo for Tuba, Peters
  • Solo for Viola, Peters
  • Solo for Violin, Peters
  • Solo for voice I for solo voice or as part of the Concert for piano and orchestra, variable, Peters
  • TV Köln for piano and other sound sources ad libitum, variable, Peters
  • Variations I for any instrument (s) or sound source (s), variable, Peters
• 1957
  • For Paul Taylor and Anita Dencks for piano's interior and undetermined sources, 3 mn, Peters
  • Winter music for one to twenty pianos, Peters
• 1956
  • 27'10.554” for a percussionist, Peters
  • Music for Piano 53-68 for piano or ensemble, 12 mn, Peters
  • elec Radio Music for one to eight performers each at one radio, 6 mn, Peters
• 1955
  • 26'1.1499" for four-string instruments or a combination of two or more instruments, 12 mn, Peters
  • Music for Piano 21-36; 37-52 for solo piano or ensemble, variable, Peters
  • Music for Piano 69-84 for solo piano or ensemble, Peters
  • elec Speech for narrator and five radios, variable, Peters
• 1954
  • 31'57.9864” for prepared piano, variable, Peters
  • 34'46.776" for prepared piano, variable, Peters
  • Music for Carillon No. 2, variable, Peters
  • Music for Carillon No. 3, variable, Peters
• 1953
  • 1' 5½" for a String Player for any four-string instrument, 1 mn 5 s, Inédit
  • 1' ½’’ for a String Player for any four-string instrument, 1 mn 30 s, Inédit
  • 1'14’’ for a String Player for any four-string instrument, 1 mn 14 s, Inédit
  • 1'18’’ for a String Player for any four-string instrument, 1 mn 14 s, Inédit
  • 45' for a Speaker, 45 mn, Inédit
  • 57½" for a String Player for any four-string instrument, 57 s, Inédit
  • 59½" for a String Player for any four-string instrument, 59 s, Peters
  • Music for Piano 20 for piano, Peters
  • Music for Piano 4-19 for an unspecified number of pianos, Peters
  • Music for Piano II for piano, 4 mn, Peters
  • Music for Piano III for piano, Peters
  • Unfinished composition for Magnetic Tape for magnetic tape, Inédit
  • Unfinished composition for voice for voice, Inédit
• 1952
  • 4'33" for any instrument or combination of instruments, 4 mn 33 s, Peters [program note]
  • elec stage Black Mountain Piece for three speakers, piano, dancer, gramophone, radio, film, slide projectors and paintings, 44 mn 25 s, Inédit
  • For M.C. and D.T for piano, between 60 s and 2 mn, Peters
  • Imaginary Landscape No. 5 for any forty-two recordings and 8 magnetic tapes, 4 mn, Peters
  • Music for Carillon No. 1, 4 mn, Peters
  • Music for Piano I for piano, 3 mn 30 s, Peters
  • Seven Haiku for piano, 3 mn, Peters
  • Two Pastorales for prepared piano, 14 mn, Peters
  • Waiting for piano, 3 mn 30 s, Peters
  • elec Water music for a pianist with objects, 6 mn 40 s, Peters
  • elec Williams Mix for magnetic tape, 4 mn 15 s, Peters
• 1951
  • Concerto for Prepared Piano for prepared piano and chamber orchestra, 21 mn, Peters [program note]
  • Haiku for piano, 5 mn, Peters
  • elec Imaginary Landscape No. 4 (March No. 2) for twelve radios (twenty-four players and conductor), 4 mn, Peters
  • Lecture on Something rhythmically structured speech with silences
  • Music of Changes for piano, 43 mn, Peters [program note]
  • Sixteen Dances for soloist and company of three, 53 mn, Peters [program note]
• 1950
  • A Flower for voice and closed piano, 4 mn, Peters
  • Lecture on Nothing rhythmically structured speech with silences, 20 mn
  • elec Music for ‘Works of Calder’ for prepared piano and magnetic tape, 20 mn about , Inédit
  • Six melodies for violin and piano, 15 mn, Peters
  • String Quartet in Four Parts, 20 mn, Peters
• 1948
  • Dream for solo piano, 6 mn 30 s, Peters
  • Experiences II for solo voice, 4 mn, Peters
  • In a landscape for solo piano or harp, 8 mn, Peters
  • Orestes for solo piano, 5 mn, Inédit
  • Sonatas and interludes for prepared piano, 1 h 10 mn, Peters
  • Suite for toy piano for toy piano, 8 mn, Peters
• 1947
  • Music for Marcel Duchamp for prepared piano, 5 mn, Peters
  • Nocturne for violin and piano for violin and piano, 4 mn, Peters
  • stage The Seasons ballet in one act, for solo piano or orchestra, 15 mn, Peters
• 1946
  • Encounter for piano, 5 mn, Inédit
  • Foreboding for piano, partition perdue
  • Ophelia for piano, 5 mn, Peters
  • Prelude for 6 Instruments in A Minor for piano, flute, bassoon, trumpet, violin and cello, 5 mn, Inédit
  • Two Pieces pour Piano for piano, 9 mn, Peters
• 1945
  • Crete for piano, 60 s, Inédit
  • Dad for piano, 30 s, Inédit
  • Daughters of the Lonesome Isle for prepared piano, 10 mn about , Peters
  • Experiences I for two pianos four hands, 3 mn, Peters
  • Mysterious Adventure for prepared piano, 8 mn, Peters
  • Party Pieces Sonorous and Exquisite Corpses for any melodic or keyboard instrument, 12 mn, Peters
  • Soliloquy for piano, 3 mn, Peters
  • The Feast for piano, partition perdue
  • Thin Cry for piano, partition perdue
  • Three Dances for two prepared pianos, 21 mn, Peters [program note]
• 1944
  • A Book of Music for two prepared pianos, 30 mn, Peters
  • A Valentine out of season for prepared piano, 4 mn, Peters
  • Arrangement of ‘Socrate’ (Erik Satie) for two pianos, 35 mn, Eschig
  • stage Four Walls for piano and voice, 52 mn, Peters
  • Prelude for Meditation for prepared piano, 60 s, Peters
  • Root of an Unfocus for prepared piano, 4 mn, Peters
  • Spontaneous Earth for prepared piano, 3 mn, Peters
  • The Perilous Night for piano, 12 mn, Peters
  • The Unavailable Memory of for prepared piano, 2 mn, Peters
  • Triple-Paced No. 2 for prepared piano, 2 mn, Peters
• 1943
  • A Room for piano or prepared piano, 2 mn, Peters
  • Ad Lib for piano, 4 mn, Peters
  • Amores for prepared piano and three percussionists, 9 mn, Peters
  • Chess Pieces for piano, 8 mn, Inédit
  • Four Dances For prepared piano, percussion, and tenor voice (wordless)., 20 mn, Peters
  • Lidice for prepared piano, 15 mn, partition perdue
  • Our Spring Will Come for prepared piano, 4 mn, Peters
  • She is asleep first part for percussion quartet, second part for voice and prepared piano, 12 mn, Peters
  • Tossed As It Is Untrouble for prepared piano, 2 mn 30 s, Peters
  • Triple-Paced No. 1 for piano, 2 mn, Peters
• 1942
  • And The Earth Shall Bear Again for prepared piano, 3 mn, Peters
  • elec Credo in Us for four performers, 12 mn, Peters
  • Dance to the West for piano, 4 mn, Inédit
  • Forever and Sunsmell for voice and two percussionists, 5 mn, Peters
  • Fourth Construction unfinished, pas d'éditeur
  • Imaginary Landscape No. 2, March n° 1 for percussion quintet, 7 mn, Peters
  • Imaginary landscape No 3 for percussion sextet, 3 mn, Peters
  • In the Name of the Holocaust for prepared piano, 6 mn, Peters
  • Jazz Study for piano, 3 mn, Peters
  • Opening Dance for piano
  • Opening Dance for Sue [Laub] for piano, 2 mn, Peters
  • Primitive for prepared piano, 4 mn 30 s, Peters
  • Shimmera for prepared piano, pas d'éditeur
  • The City Wears a Slouch Hat for narrator and four, five or six percussionists, 36 mn, Peters
  • The Wonderful Widow of Eighteen Springs for voice and piano, 2 mn, Peters
  • Totem Ancestor for prepared piano, 2 mn, Peters
• 1941
  • Double Music for percussion quartet, 6 mn, Peters
  • Third Construction for four percussionists, 15 mn, Peters
• 1940
  • A Chant with Claps for voice and hand clapping, Inédit
  • America Was Promises for narrator and piano for four hands or two pianos, 40 mn, pas d'éditeur
  • Bacchanale for prepared piano, 6 mn, Peters
  • Dance Music: for Elfrid Ide for six percussionists, 15 mn, Inédit
  • Fads and Fancies in the Academy for five performers, 17 mn, Peters
  • Four Songs of the Moment for piano, 12 mn, pas d'éditeur
  • elec Imaginary Landscape No. 2 first version, for constant and variable frequency discs, piano and percussion, Inédit
  • Living room music for percussion and speech quartet with or without instrumental solo, 8 mn, Peters
  • Second Construction for percussion ensemble, 6 mn, Peters
  • Spiritual for piano, pas d'éditeur
• 1939
  • stage 25 Ballets in 1 acte for a solo dancer, partition perdue
  • First Construction in Metal percussion sextet with an assistant using chimes, 9 mn, Peters
  • Ho to AA for voice and piano, partition perdue
  • elec Imaginary Landscape No.1 for two variable-speed phono turntables, frequency recordings, muted piano and cymbal, 6 mn, Peters
  • Marriage at the Eiffel Tower for two pianos partly for four hands, various whistles, toys and sirens, Inédit
• 1938
  • Five Songs for Contralto for voice and piano, 8 mn, Peters
  • Metamorphosis for piano, 15 mn, Peters
  • Music for Wind Instruments for wind quintet, 8 mn, Peters
  • Music for an Aquatic Ballet, partition perdue
• 1936
  • String Quartet for string quartet in scordatura, pas d'éditeur
  • Trio for three percussionists, 12 mn, Peters
• 1935
  • Quartet for percussion, 20 mn, Peters
  • elec Quest for fifty toys amplified with microphone and speaker (first movement) and piano (second movement), 10 mn, Peters
  • Three Pieces for Flute Duet for two flutes, 6 mn, Peters
  • Two Pieces for Piano for piano, 4 mn, Peters
• 1934
  • Allemande for clarinet in B flat, Inédit
  • Composition for Three Voices for three unspecified instruments, 4 mn, Peters
  • Duet for Two Flutes for two flutes, Inédit
  • Music for Xenia for piano, Inédit
  • Six Short Inventions for alto flute, clarinet, trumpet, violin, two violas and cello, 7 mn, Peters
  • Solo with Obligato Accompaniment of Two Voices in Canon, and 6 Short Inventions on the Subject of the Solo for minimum three instruments, on the g-g scale, 15 mn, Peters
• 1933
  • Sonata for Two Voices for two or more instruments, on specific scales, 6 mn, Peters
  • Three Easy Pieces for piano, 3 mn, Peters
  • Three Songs for Voice and Piano for voice and piano or solo piano, 3 mn, Peters
• 1932
  • First Chapter of Ecclesiastes, The Preacher for piano, and voice ad libitum, 10 mn about , Inédit
  • Greek Ode for voice and piano, 12 mn, Inédit
  • Piano Etudes for piano, partition perdue
• 1931
  • Untitled Composition for any instrument with specific ranges, 12 mn, Inédit

Bibliographie

Textes de John Cage

• John CAGE, Silence, Middletown, Connecticut, Wesleyan University Press, 1961 (Silence. Conférences et écrits [1961], Genève : Héros-Limite, 2003.)
• John CAGE, A Year from Monday, Middletown, Connecticut, Wesleyan University Press, 1968. (Une année dès lundi. Conférences et écrits [1967], Paris : Textuel, 2006.)
• John CAGE, M. Writings ’67-’72, Londres / Middletown : Calder & Boyars, 1973.
• John CAGE, Empty Words. Writings ’73-’78, Boston / Londres : Marion Boyars, 1980.
• John CAGE, X. Writings ’79-’82, Middletown : Wesleyan University Press, 1983.
• John CAGE, Charles Eliot Norton Lectures, Cambridge : Harvard University Press, 1990.
• John CAGE, I-VI. Cambridge, MA. and London, Harvard University Press, 1990.
• John CAGE, Je n’ai jamais écouté aucun son sans l’aimer : le seul problème avec les sons, c’est la musique, La Souterraine : La main courante, 1994.
• John CAGE, Escritos al oído (édition et traduction de C. Pardo), Murcia, Colegio Oficial de Aparejadores y Arquitectos Técnicos de Murcia, Colección de Arquilectura, nº 38, 1999.
• John CAGE en conversation avec Daniel CHARLES, For the Birds, Boston-London, Marion Boyars, 1981. (Pour les oiseaux. Entretiens avec Daniel Charles [1976], Paris : L’Herne, 2002.)

Textes sur John Cage

• Richard KOSTELANETZ, Conversations avec John Cage [1988], Paris : Syrtes, 2000.
• Joan RETALLACK, Musicage : Cage Muses on Words, Art, Music. John Cage in Conversation with Joan Retallack, Londres / Hanovre : Wesleyan University Press, 1996.
• Pierre BOULEZ et John CAGE, Correspondance et documents, Paris, Christian Bourgois, 1991.
• « John Cage » dansRevue d’esthétique, nouvelle série, nº 13-14-15, 1987-1988, Paris, éd. Privat, 1988.
• « De la composition : l’après John Cage» dans Revue d’esthétique, nouvelle série, nº 43, Paris, J.M. Place, 2003.
• Gino Di MAGGIO, Achille BONITO OLIVA, Daniele LOMBARDI, éd., John Cage, Milano, Fondazione Mudita, 2009.
• Daniel CHARLES, Jean-Louis HOUCHARD (contributions sollicités et rassemblées par), Rencontrer, encountering John Cage, Elne, VOIXéditions, 2008
• H. K. METZGER et R. RIEHN (éd.), Musik-Konzepte, Sonderband John Cage I et II. München, edition text+kritik, 1990.
• David NICHOLLS, éd., The Cambridge Companion to John Cage, Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2002.
• David W. PATTERSON, éd., John Cage : Music, Philosophy, and Intention, 1933-1950, Londres / New York : Routledge, 2002.
• Jean-Yves BOSSEUR, John Cage, Paris : Minerve, 1993.
• Daniel CHARLES, Gloses sur John Cage [1978], Paris : Desclée de Brouwer, 2002.
• Marc FROMENT-MEURICE, Les Intermittences de la raison. Penser Cage, entendre Heidegger, Paris : Klincksieck, 1982.
• Ulrike Kasper, Écrire sur l’eau. L’esthétique de John Cage, Paris : Hermann, 2005.
• David NICHOLLS, John Cage, University of Illinois Press, 2007.
• Carmen PARDO SALGADO, Approche de John Cage. L’écoute oblique [2001], Paris : L’Harmattan, 2007 (La escucha oblicua: una invitación a John Cage, Editorial Universidad Politécnica de Valencia. Colección Letras Humanas, 2001).
• En el mar de John Cage, Ediciones de La Central, Barcelona, 2009
• James PRITCHETT, The Music of John Cage, Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 1993
• David REVILL, The Roaring Silence. John Cage a life, London, Bloomsbury, 1992
• Stefan SCHÄDLER et Walter ZIMMERMANN, John Cage. Anarchic Harmony, Francfort-sur-le-Main : Schott, 1992
• Anne DE FORNEL, John Cage, Paris : Fayard, 2019.

Lien internet

• http://johncage.org (administré par le John Cage Trust, vérifié en février 2010)

Filmographie

• Merrill BROCKWA, Aspects of a New Conciousness, Dialogue III, 1969, (30m.).
• John CORBER, John Cage: Man and Myth, 1990 (video).
• Elliot CAPLAN (dir.), Beach Birds for camera, 1992.
• Fundació Espai Poble Nou/Barcelona, John Cage. Essay, Gener - abril de 1991 (vídeo).
• Takahiko IIMURA, John Cage Performs James Joyce, 1985, (video 15m.).
• Henning LOHNER, One 11 and 103, 1992 (125m.).
• Allan MILLER, I have nothing to say and I am saying it, 1990. John Cage. Je n’ai rien à dire et je le dis. Music Project for Television Inc. American Masters, Lola Film, Wnet New York, 1994 (54m.).
• John Cage, 1990 (TV).
• Henning LOHNER, Die Rache der Toten Indianer, 1993, 125’, couleur, son.
• Nam June PAIK, A Tribute to John Cage, 1976 (1973), 29’02’’, couleur, son.