But what about the noise of crumpling paper.....?

John Cage

General Info

Year: 1985
Duration: c. 20:00
Difficulty: (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Peters
Cost: Score and Parts - $0.00   |   Score Only - $0.00

Instrumentation

Player I:
Player II:
Player III:
Player IV:
Player V:
Player VI:

Program Notes

This work was composed "in celebration of the work of Jean Arp on the occasion of the centenary of his birth". Its title comes from a letter written by Greta Ströh, manager of the Arp Foundation to Cage, and is part of the extant correspondence between the two concerning the project as a whole. There are 10 parts provided, any 3 to 10 of which may be used in a performance. Repetitions may be made. Each player chooses 2 or more slightly resonant instruments of different materials played in unison, notated in the parts as + . The o stands for water, paper, or other unidentified sounds. Dynamics are free, but should be varied. A performance should be without conductor, very slow, each player following his or her own beat. Each performer plays his or her part twice, but as each player keeps his own time, the second performance will always be subtly different, since things will inevitably occur at different moments. Performers may be stationed around the audience, or among them, or on stage. If the work is performed on a stage, the players should not be positioned too closely together.

Dedicated - Les percussions de Strasbourg

Recent Performances

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Works for Percussion by this Composer

27' 10.554" for a Percussionist - Multiple Percussion
Amores - Percussion Trio; Piano
Branches - Percussion Duo
But what about the noise of crumpling paper.....? - Percussion Sextet
Child of Tree - Multiple Percussion
Composed Improvisation for Snare Drum - Snare Drum
Composed Improvisation: for one-sided drum with or without jangles - Multiple Percussion
Composed Improvisation: for Snare Drum Alone - Snare Drum
Credo in US - Percussion Quartet
Dance Music: for Elfrid Ide - Percussion Sextet; Dancer
Double Music - Percussion Quartet - Cage/Harrison
First Construction (in metal) - Percussion Quintet; Piano
Forever and Sunsmell - Percussion Duo; Voice
Four4 - Percussion Quartet
Imaginary Landscape No.2 - Percussion Quintet
Imaginary Landscape No.3 - Percussion Sextet
Imaginary Landscape No.4 or March No. 2 - 12 Radios - 24 Players
Inlets - Percussion Trio; Conch Shells
Living Room Music - Percussion Quartet
One4 - Multiple Percussion
Quartet - Percussion Quartet
R= Ryoanji - Multiple Percussion
Second Construction - Percussion Trio; Piano
She is Asleep: Quartet - Percussion Quartet; Voice; Piano
Six - Percussion Sextet
The Wonderful Widow of Eighteen Springs Multiple Percussion (Piano); Voice
Third Construction - Percussion Quartet
Three2 - Percussion Trio
Trio - Percussion Trio