Variations (Cage)

Variations is a series of works by the American composer

John Cage. A number of the pieces in the series are
seminal examples of indeterminate music, others are
happenings: performance pieces executed according to
the score.

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the performers actions, but notes that these can include

noticing or responding to environmental changes. He
also states that although some of the factors of a performance may be planned in advance, the performers should
leave room for unforeseen eventualities"; and that any
other activities are going on at the same time as the work
is performed. This last is not an instruction, but simply
an observation.

The series
Variations I (1958)

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The rst piece in the series is dedicated to David Tudor and was a belated birthday present. The score consists of six transparent squares: one with 27 points of
four dierent sizes, ve with ve lines each. The squares
are to be combined in any way, with points representing
sounds, and lines used as axes of various characteristics of
these sounds: lowest frequency, simplest overtone structure, etc. Said characteristics are obtained by dropping
perpendiculars from points and measuring these perpendiculars. The piece is to be performed by any number of
performers on any kind and number of instruments.

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Variations IV (1963)

This piece is the second in a group that included Atlas

Eclipticalis as the rst piece and 0'00 as the third. Variations IV is intended for any number of players producing
any sounds by any means, with or without other activities. It is dedicated to Peter Pesic. The score consists of
seven points and two circles on a transparent sheet. The
sheet is cut into nine small sheets. One of the circles is
then placed anywhere on a map of the area where the performance is to take place. Then the rest of the sheets are
dropped anywhere on the same map, and straight lines
are drawn from the rst circle to the seven points; if a
line intersects or is tangent to another circle, the same
procedure is applied to that circle. The explanatory note
in the score gives instructions on how to interpret the results. Cage also mentions that performers need not conne themselves to a performance of the piece during the
entire performance and are free to engage in any other
activities at any time.

Variations II (1961)

This work is intended for any number of players and

any sound producing means. The score consists of eleven
transparent sheets: six with lines and ve with points. The
mechanism is the same as in Variations I: perpendiculars
are dropped from points to lines to determine sound char- The popular phonograph records of the premiere (issued
acteristics, except that the list of characteristics is dier- by Everest Records) of this work is generally misunderent: frequency, amplitude, timbre, etc.
stood as a sound collage of classical music, sound-eects,
and ambient noises, etc. While this is what the work
sounds like the concept behind the work has nothing to
1.3 Variations III (1962)
do with the recordings and sounds that were employed
in the performance as such. What the work actually emThe third in the series is intended for one or any numbodies is the positioning of sound sources within a given
ber of people performing any actions. It is the rst entry
interior space. In that regard the recording completely
in the series that does not make any references to music,
misrepresents the basis of the work.
musical instruments or sounds. The score consists of two
sheets of transparent plastic, one blank, the other marked
with 42 identical circles. Cage instructs the performers
to cut the sheet with circles so that they end up with 42 1.5 Variations V (1965)
small sheets, a full circle on each. These should then be
dropped on a sheet of paper. Isolated circles are then This work has a score which is simply a description of the
removed, and the rest are interpreted according to com- rst performance, which included electronics, dancers,
plex rules explained in the score. The information derived and other elements. Part of the setup for the work inincludes the number of actions and the number of vari- cluded light beams which triggered sounds from the elecables that characterize an action. Cage does not specify tronics when interrupted by the motions of the dancers.
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Variations VI (1966)

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Variations VII (1966)

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Variations VIII (1967, revised 1978)

References
Published scores: Edition Peters 6767, 6768, 6797,
6798, 6799, 6802, and 66766.

REFERENCES

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

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Text

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