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This is a list of compositions by
John Cage John Milton Cage Jr. (September 5, 1912 – August 12, 1992) was an American composer and music theorist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading fi ...
(1912–1992), arranged in chronological order by year of composition.


List of works


Apprenticeship period (1932–36)

* ''Greek Ode'', for voice and
piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...
(1932) * ''First Chapter of Ecclesiastes'' (''The Preacher''), for voice and piano (1932, possibly incomplete) * ''Three Easy Pieces'' (1.
Round Round or rounds may refer to: Mathematics and science * The contour of a closed curve or surface with no sharp corners, such as an ellipse, circle, rounded rectangle, cant, or sphere * Rounding, the shortening of a number to reduce the number ...
in A minor, 2. Duo in G major, 3. Infinite
canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...
in F minor), for piano (1933) * ''Three Songs for voice and piano'', (1932–33) * '' Sonata for Clarinet'' (1933) * ''Sonata for Two Voices'', for two instruments with specified
range Range may refer to: Geography * Range (geographic), a chain of hills or mountains; a somewhat linear, complex mountainous or hilly area (cordillera, sierra) ** Mountain range, a group of mountains bordered by lowlands * Range, a term used to i ...
s (1933) * ''Composition for 3 Voices'' for three unspecified instruments (1934) * ''Solo with obbligato accompaniment of two voices in canon, and six short inventions on the subjects of the solo'', for three or more instruments (1934, six inventions revised rchestrated1958) * ''Three pieces'', for two
flute The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...
s (1935) * ''Quartet'', for any four
percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...
instruments (1935) * ''Two pieces'', for piano (1935?, revised 1974) * ''Trio'', for three percussionists (1936)


Modern dance, prepared piano, and the transition to chance (1937–51)

* ''Metamorphosis'', for piano (1938) * ''Five Songs'', for
contralto A contralto () is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare; similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to that of a countertenor, typically b ...
soloist and piano (1938) * ''Music for Wind Instruments'', for
wind quintet A wind quintet, also known as a woodwind quintet, is a group of five wind players (most commonly flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn and bassoon). Unlike the string quartet (of 4 string instruments) with its homogeneous blend of sound color, the in ...
(1938) * ''
Bacchanale A bacchanale is an orgiastic musical composition, often depicting a drunken revel or ''bacchanal''. Examples include the ''bacchanales'' in Camille Saint-Saëns's '' Samson and Delilah'', the Venusberg scene in Richard Wagner's ''Tannhäuser'', '' ...
'', for
prepared piano A prepared piano is a piano that has had its sounds temporarily altered by placing bolts, screws, mutes, rubber erasers, and/or other objects on or between the strings. Its invention is usually traced to John Cage's dance music for ''Works for p ...
(1938) * ''
Imaginary Landscape No. 1 ''Imaginary Landscape No. 1'' is a composition for Phonograph record, records of constant and variable frequency, large chinese cymbal and string piano by American composer John Cage and the first in the series of Imaginary Landscapes. It was compo ...
'', for two variable-speed phono
turntable A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...
s, frequency recordings, muted piano and
cymbal A cymbal is a common percussion instrument. Often used in pairs, cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys. The majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs soun ...
(1939) * '' First Construction (in Metal)'', for six percussionists and an assistant (1939) * '' Second Construction'', for four percussionists (1940) * '' Third Construction'', for four percussionists (1941) * ''Dance to the West'', for piano (1942) * ''Forever and Sunsmell'', for voice and two percussionists (1942) * '' Totem Ancestor'', for
prepared piano A prepared piano is a piano that has had its sounds temporarily altered by placing bolts, screws, mutes, rubber erasers, and/or other objects on or between the strings. Its invention is usually traced to John Cage's dance music for ''Works for p ...
(1942) * ''Jazz Study'', for piano (1942, spurious work possibly not by Cage) * ''
Imaginary Landscape No. 3 ''Imaginary Landscape No. 3'' is a composition for six percussionists by American composer John Cage and the third in the series of Imaginary Landscapes. It is the last ''Imaginary Landscape'' to feature percussion instruments and, therefore, the ...
'', for six percussionists (1942) * ''
Imaginary Landscape No. 2 (March No. 1) ''Imaginary Landscape No. 2 (March No. 1)'' is a composition for five percussionists by American composer John Cage and the second in the series of Imaginary Landscapes. It was also the first march in the set, the second being '' Imaginary Landsca ...
'' (1942, first title ''Fourth Construction'') * ''The City Wears a Slouch Hat'', for narrator and six percussionists (1942) * ''
Credo in Us ''Credo in Us'' is a musical composition by the American experimental music composer, writer and visual artist John Cage. It was written in July 1942 and revised in October of that year. In the wake of Pearl Harbor, this piece avoided the popu ...
'', for four performers with various objects (1942) * ''And The Earth Shall Bear Again'', for prepared piano (1942) * ''
The Wonderful Widow of Eighteen Springs ''The Wonderful Widow of Eighteen Springs'' is a song for voice and closed piano by John Cage. It was composed in late 1942 and quickly became a minor classic in Cage's oeuvre. The text was a reworked version of a passage from James Joyce's ''Finn ...
'', for voice and closed piano (1942) * '' Primitive'', for prepared piano (1942) * '' In the Name of the Holocaust'', for prepared piano (1942) * ''Ad lib'', for piano (1943) * '' Our Spring Will Come'', for prepared piano (1943) * '' A Room'', for piano or prepared piano (1943, originally third part of ''She is Asleep'') * '' She Is Asleep'': 1. Quartet for percussion, 2. Duet for voice and prepared piano (1943) * ''
Amores Amores may refer to: * ''Amores'' (Ovid), the first book by the poet Ovid, published in 5 volumes in 16 BCE * ''Amores'' (Lucian), a play by Lucian; also known as ''Erotes'' * Erotes (mythology), known as Amores by the Romans * ''Amores'', a bo ...
'', for percussion and prepared piano (1943) * '' Four Dances (What So Proudly We Hail)'', for voice and prepared piano (1943) * '' Tossed As It Is Untroubled'', for prepared piano (1943, first title ''Meditation'') * ''Triple-Paced No. 1'', for piano (1943) * ''Four Walls'', for piano and voice (in one of the movements) (1944) * '' Prelude for Meditation'', for prepared piano (1944) * ''
Root of an Unfocus United States, American avant-garde composer John Cage (1912–1992) began composing pieces for solo prepared piano around 1938–40. The majority of early works for this instrument were created to accompany dances by Cage's various collabor ...
'', for prepared piano (1944) * '' Spontaneous Earth'', for prepared piano (1944) * '' The Unavailable Memory of'', for prepared piano (1944) * '' Triple-Paced No. 2'', for prepared piano (1944) * '' The Perilous Night'', suite for prepared piano (1944) * '' A Valentine Out of Season'', for prepared piano (1944) * '' A Book of Music'', for two prepared pianos (1944) * ''Crete'', for piano (1944–45) * ''Dad'', for piano (1944–45) * '' Mysterious Adventure'', for prepared piano (1945) * ''Soliloquy'', for piano (1945, originally part of ''Four Walls'') * ''Experiences No. 1'', for two pianos 4 hands (1945) * ''
Three Dances 3 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 3, three, or III may also refer to: * AD 3, the third year of the AD era * 3 BC, the third year before the AD era * March, the third month Books * '' Three of Them'' (Russian: ', literally, "three"), a 190 ...
'' for two prepared pianos (1945) * '' Daughters of the Lonesome Isle'', for prepared piano (1945) * ''Ophelia'', for piano (1945) * ''Prelude for six instruments'' in A minor for flute,
bassoon The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuo ...
,
trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...
,
violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...
,
cello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a Bow (music), bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), t ...
and piano (1946, an arrangement of the second piece from ''Two Pieces'' for piano of 1946) * ''Two Pieces'', for piano (1946) * ''
Music for Marcel Duchamp United States, American avant-garde composer John Cage (1912–1992) began composing pieces for solo prepared piano around 1938–40. The majority of early works for this instrument were created to accompany dances by Cage's various collabor ...
'', for prepared piano (1947) * ''Nocturne'', for violin and piano (1947) *
Ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...
'' The Seasons'', versions for piano and for
orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
(1947) * ''Dream'', for piano or
viola The viola ( , also , ) is a string instrument that is bow (music), bowed, plucked, or played with varying techniques. Slightly larger than a violin, it has a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of ...
and ensemble of 4 violas (1948) * ''Experiences No. 2'' for voice (1948) * ''In a Landscape'' for piano or
harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has a number of individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orche ...
(1948) * ''
Sonatas and Interludes ''Sonatas and Interludes'' is a cycle of twenty pieces for prepared piano by American avant-garde composer John Cage (1912–1992). It was composed in 1946–48, shortly after Cage's introduction to Indian philosophy and the teachings of art hist ...
'', for prepared piano (1946–48) * ''Suite for Toy Piano'', for
toy piano The toy piano, also known as the ''kinderklavier'' (child's keyboard), is a small piano-like musical instrument. Most modern toy pianos use round metal rods, as opposed to strings in a regular piano, to produce sound. The U.S. Library of Congress ...
or piano (1948) * ''
A Flower ''A Flower'' is a song for voice and closed piano by John Cage. It was composed in 1950, for a choreography by Louise Lippold, wife of sculptor Richard Lippold. There is no text; the singer vocalises a small number of phonemes such as "uh", "wa ...
'', for voice and closed piano (1950) * '' Works of Calder'', film score for prepared piano and tape (1950) * '' String Quartet in Four Parts'', for
string quartet The term string quartet can refer to either a type of musical composition or a group of four people who play them. Many composers from the mid-18th century onwards wrote string quartets. The associated musical ensemble consists of two violinists ...
(1949–50) * '' Six Melodies'', for violin and
keyboard instrument A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument played using a keyboard, a row of levers which are pressed by the fingers. The most common of these are the piano, organ, and various electronic keyboards, including synthesizers and digital piano ...
(1950) * ''Concerto for prepared piano'', for prepared piano and chamber orchestra (1950–51) * ''Haiku'' for piano (1950–51)


First chance works (1951–59)

* '' Sixteen Dances'' for flute, trumpet, 4 percussionists, piano, violin and cello (October 1950 – January 1951) * '' Imaginary Landscape No. 4 (March No. 2)'', for 12
radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...
s, 24 performers and a conductor (April 1951) * ''
Music of Changes ''Music of Changes'' is a piece for solo piano by John Cage. Composed in 1951 for pianist and friend David Tudor, it is a ground-breaking piece of Indeterminacy (music), indeterminate music. The process of composition involved applying decisions m ...
'', for piano (May – December 1951) * ''Seven Haiku'', for piano (July 1951 – 1952) * ''Waiting'', for piano (January 7, 1952) * '' Imaginary Landscape No. 5'' for any 42 recordings (January 12, 1952) * '' Two Pastorales'', for piano or prepared piano (January 31, 1952) * ''Water Music'' for pianist using various objects (Spring 1952) * ''For M.C. and D.T.'', for piano (1952, before August) * ''Music for Carillon No. 1'', for
carillon A carillon ( , ) is a pitched percussion instrument that is played with a keyboard and consists of at least 23 cast-bronze bells. The bells are hung in fixed suspension and tuned in chromatic order so that they can be sounded harmoniou ...
(July 10, 1952; 2- and 3-octave transcriptions made in 1958 and 1961, respectively) * '' 4′33″'' for any instrument or combination of instruments (August 1952, second version 1962) * '' Music for Piano 1'', for piano (December 1952) * ''
Williams Mix ''Williams Mix'' (1951–1953) is a 4'15" musique concrete composition by John Cage for eight simultaneously played independent quarter-inch magnetic tapes. The first octophonic music, the piece was created by Cage with the assistance of Earle B ...
'', for tape (1952–53, finished on January 16, 1953) * '' Music for Piano 2'', for piano (May 1953) * '' Music for Piano 4–19'', for any number of pianos (May 1953) * '' Music for Piano 3'', for piano (June 1953) * ''59½" For a String Player'', for any 4-string instrument (July 2, 1953) * '' Music for Piano 20'', for piano (August 20, 1953) * ''Music for Carillon No. 2'', for carillon (January 1954; 2-octave version made in January 1961) * ''Music for Carillon No. 3'', for carillon (January 1954; 2-octave version made in January 1961) * '' 34'46.776" For a Pianist'', for prepared piano (1954, before October 17) * '' 31'57.9864" For a Pianist'', for prepared piano (1954, before October 17) * ''45' for a Speaker'' (1954) * ''26'1.1499" For a String Player'', for
string instrument String instruments, stringed instruments, or chordophones are musical instruments that produce sound from vibrating strings when a performer plays or sounds the strings in some manner. Musicians play some string instruments by plucking the ...
(1953–55, finished in August – September 1955) * '' Music for Piano 21–36, 37–52'', for piano solo or in an ensemble (1955, finished on October 11) * ''Speech 1955'', for news reader and 5 radios (November 1955) * '' 27'10.554" For a Percussionist'', for percussion (January 14, 1956) * '' Music for Piano 53–68'', for piano solo or in an ensemble (May 1956) * '' Music for Piano 69–84'', for piano solo or in an ensemble (May 1956) * ''Radio Music'', for 1 to 8 performers using radios (May 1956) * ''Winter Music'', for piano (January 1957) * ''For Paul Taylor and Anita Dencks'', for piano (September 1957) * ''Haiku'', for any instruments or objects (January 1958) * '' Variations I'', for any number of performers and any kind and number of instruments (January 20, 1958) * ''Concert'' for piano and orchestra (1957–58, finished before May 15) * ''Solo for Voice 1'', for voice (1958, before May 25) * ''Music Walk'', for piano and various objects (September 24, 1958) * ''TV Köln'', for piano, optionally with other objects (October 1958) * ''Fontana Mix'', for tape (November 1958) * ''Aria'', for voice (November or December 1958)


Happenings, theater (1959–68)

* ''Sounds of Venice'', for
television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...
set (one performer) (1959) * ''Water Walk'', a work for a TV show for one performer with a variety of objects (1959) * ''Cartridge Music'', for amplified sounds (1960) * ''Music for Amplified Toy Pianos'', for any number of toy pianos (1960) * ''Music for "The Marrying Maiden"'' (music for a play), for tape (1960) * ''Solo for Voice 2'', for solo voice or chorus (1960) * ''Theatre Piece'', for 1 to 8 performers (1960) * ''WBAI'' (1960) – auxiliary score for performance with other works * ''Where Are We Going? And What Are We Doing?'', composed lecture, tapes (1960–61) * ''Atlas Eclipticalis'' for an ensemble of 86 instruments (1961–62) * ''Music for Carillon No. 4'', for electronic instrument with accompaniment (1961) * '' Variations II'', for any number of performers and any kind and number of instruments (1961) * '' Music for Piano 85'', for piano and electronics (1962) * '' Variations III'', for any number of people performing any actions (1962) * ''0′00″ (4′33″ No. 2)'', solo for any performer with maximum amplification (no feedback) (1962) * '' Variations IV'' for any number of performers, any sounds or combinations of sounds produced by any means, with or without other activities (1963) * ''Electronic Music for Piano'', for solo piano (or any number of pianos) with electronics (1964) * ''Rozart Mix'', tape loops (1965) * '' Variations V'' (1965) * '' Variations VI'', for a plurality of sound systems (1966) * ''Music for Carillon No. 5'', for a four-octave instrument (1967) * '' Variations VIII'', no music or recordings (May 1967; revised 1978) * ''Assemblage'', for electronics (1968)


Return to composition (1969–86)

* ''
HPSCHD ''HPSCHD'' (pronounced as initials: eɪtʃ-piː-ɛs-siː-eɪtʃ-di:, although Cage himself said the title is "Harpsichord") is a composition for harpsichord and computer-generated sounds by American avant-garde composers John Cage (1912–1992) and ...
'', for 1 to 7 amplified
harpsichord A harpsichord ( it, clavicembalo; french: clavecin; german: Cembalo; es, clavecín; pt, cravo; nl, klavecimbel; pl, klawesyn) is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. This activates a row of levers that turn a trigger mechanism ...
s and 1 to 51 tapes (1967–69, accompanied with ''Program (KNOBS) for the listener'', an instruction for playing back the recording of the piece) * ''
Cheap Imitation ''Cheap Imitation'' is a piece for solo piano by John Cage, composed in 1969. It is an indeterminate piece created using the '' I Ching'' and based, rhythmically, on ''Socrate'' by Erik Satie. History of composition Like numerous other works by ...
'', for piano (1969; orchestrated 1972, violin version 1977) * ''Sound Anonymously Received'', for an unsolicited instrument (1969, possibly 1978) * ''Untitled (Work for Antoinette Vischer)'', for harpsichord (before 1969) * ''Dialog'', for two performers with various objects (1970, possibly 1977; also known as ''Dialogue'') * ''
Song Books A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetition ...
'' (''Solos for Voice 3–92''), for one or more voices (August – October 1970, Solo for Voice 85 arranged for violin as ''Chorals'' in 1978) * ''Mureau'', for one or more speakers and tape ''ad lib'' (November 1970) * ''WGBH-TV'', for composer and technicians (1971) * ''Bird Cage'', for 12 tapes (April 1972) * ''Etcetera'', for small orchestra, tape and, optionally, 3 conductors (August 1973) * ''Exercise'', for an orchestra of soloists (November 1973, based on ''Etcetera''; second version completed in December 1984) * ''
Etudes Australes ''Etudes Australes'' is a set of etudes for piano solo by John Cage, composed in 1974–75 for Grete Sultan. It comprises 32 Indeterminacy (music), indeterminate pieces written using star charts as source material. The etudes, conceived as duets f ...
'', for piano (1974–75, finished in December) * ''Score (40 Drawings by Thoreau) and 23 Parts'', for 23 performers; any instruments and/or voices (August 1974) * ''Child of Tree (Improvisation I)'', for percussion made of plants and/or plants used as percussion (1975, before March 8) * ''Lecture on the Weather'', lecture for 12 voices and tapes (September 1975) * ''Renga'', 78 parts for any instruments and/or voices (1975–76, finished in April) * ''Quartets I–VIII'', for orchestra (1976, after August. Three versions for 24, 41, and 93 performers. Arranged for 12 amplified voices and concert band in 1978) * ''Branches'', for percussion made of plants or plants used as percussion (1976) * ''Telephones and Birds'', for three performers (1977, before January 18) * ''49 Waltzes for the Five Boroughs'', for performer(s), or listener(s), or record maker(s) (1977, before October 6) * ''
Freeman Etudes ''Freeman Etudes'' are a set of etudes for solo violin composed by John Cage. Like the earlier ''Etudes Australes'' for piano, these works are incredibly complex, nearly impossible to perform, and represented for Cage the "practicality of the impo ...
'', for violin (1977–80, 1989–90) * ''Inlets (Improvisation II)'', for four performers with
conch shells Conch () is a common name of a number of different medium-to-large-sized sea snails. Conch shells typically have a high spire and a noticeable siphonal canal (in other words, the shell comes to a noticeable point at both ends). In North ...
and the sound of fire (September 1977) * ''Cassette'' for five performers with any number of tapes (1977, before December 7. Used in ''Address'', see
Happenings A happening is a performance, event, or situation art, usually as performance art. The term was first used by Allan Kaprow during the 1950s to describe a range of art-related events. History Origins Allan Kaprow first coined the term "happen ...
) * ''Alla ricerca del silenzio perduto'' (''Il Treno''), for "prepared train" (December 1977) * ''A Dip in the Lake: Ten Quicksteps, Sixty-two Waltzes, and Fifty-six Marches for Chicago and Vicinity'', for performer(s) or listener(s) or record maker(s) (1978, before May) * ''Some of the "Harmony of Maine"'', for
organist An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ (music), organ. An organist may play organ repertoire, solo organ works, play with an musical ensemble, ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumentalist, instrumental ...
and three assistants (November 12, 1978) * ''
Etudes Boreales ''Etudes Boreales'' is a set of etudes for cello and/or piano composed by John Cage in 1978. The set is a small counterpart to Cage's other etude collections - '' Etudes Australes'' for piano and '' Freeman Etudes'' for violin. ''Etudes Boreales'' ...
'', for cello and/or piano (1978) * ''Hymns and Variations'', for twelve amplified voices (January 1979) * '' Roaratorio, an Irish circus on Finnegans Wake'', tape (April – September 1979; a realization of ''____,____ ____ circus on ____'', a set of instructions on transcribing any book for any ensemble) * ''Improvisation III'', for four or more cassette players (February 1980) * ''Furniture Music Etcetera'', for two pianos (April 27, 1980; partly based on ''Etcetera'') * ''Litany for the Whale'', for two voices (July 1980) * ''Thirty Pieces for Five Orchestras'', for five orchestras (1981, before November 22) * ''Instances of Silence'', for any number of cassette players and tapes (1982, before March 16) * ''Postcard from Heaven'', for 1 to 20 harps (June 1982) * ''Improvisation IV (Fielding Sixes)'', for three cassette players (1982, before June 30) * ''Dance/4 Orchestras'', for four orchestras (1982, before August 22) * ''Fifteen Domestic Minutes'', for record players at different radio stations (August 1982) * ''An Alphabet'', radio play (1982) * ''ear for EAR (Antiphonies)'', for voices (possibly January 20, 1983) * ''Ryoanji'', for
double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...
, trombone,
oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. A ...
, voice, percussion, small orchestra (1983; parts added in 1983–85, and an unfinished cello part survives from 1992) * ''R/13 (where R=Ryoanji)'', for percussionist with thirteen found objects (July 26–28, 1983) * ''Souvenir'', for organ (September 1983) * ''Thirty Pieces for String Quartet'', for string quartet (September 1983) * ''HMCIEX'', tape for radio (1983–84) * ''Perpetual Tango'', for piano (February 1984) * ''Haikai'', for flute and zoomoozophone (July 1984) * ''
Nowth upon Nacht ''Nowth upon Nacht'' is a song for voice and piano by John Cage. It was composed in 1984 wiktionary:in memoriam, in memoriam for Cathy Berberian, the celebrated soprano singer, wife of composer Luciano Berio. The text is from page 555–6 of James ...
'', for voice and piano (July 1984) * ''A Collection of Rocks'', for choir and orchestra (October 1984) * ''Eight Whiskus'', for low voice (November 21, 1984; reworked for violin in March 1985) * ''Mirakus2'', for voice (November or December 1984) * ''Selkus2'', (November or December 1984) * '' ASLSP'', for piano or organ (January 1985) * ''Sonnekus2'', for voice (February 1985) * ''The first meeting of the Satie society the socie satiety'', for two speakers, one female singer, musicians and/or tapes (January – March 1985) * ''But what about the noise of crumpling paper which he used to do in order to paint the series of "Papiers froissés" or tearing up paper to make "Papiers déchirés?" Arp was stimulated by water (sea, lake, and flowing waters like rivers), forests'', for percussion ensemble (August 1985) * ''Etcetera 2/4 Orchestras'', for four orchestras and tape (December 1985) * ''Voiceless Essay'', for four computer-generated tapes (1985–86) * ''Wishing Well'', for four speakers (early 1986) * ''Hymnkus'', for voice and chamber ensemble (1986, probably before May 14) * ''Improvisation A+B'', for voice,
clarinet The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound. Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...
, trombone, percussion and orchestra (1986, before May 14) * ''Rocks'', for various electronic devices (May 5, 1986) * ''Haikai'', for
gamelan Gamelan () ( jv, ꦒꦩꦼꦭꦤ꧀, su, ᮌᮙᮨᮜᮔ᮪, ban, ᬕᬫᭂᬮᬦ᭄) is the traditional ensemble music of the Javanese, Sundanese, and Balinese peoples of Indonesia, made up predominantly of percussive instruments. T ...
ensemble (October 1986)


Number Pieces and other late works (1987–92)

* ''Music for ________'', seventeen parts with no score, for a variable chamber ensemble (1984–87) * ''Essay'' (''Writing through the Essay "On the Duty of Civil Disobedience"''), for computer-generated tapes (1987–88) * ''
Two 2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many cultur ...
'', for flute and piano (April 1987) * '' Organ2/ASLSP'', for organ (June 1987) * '' One'', for piano (December 1987) * '' Europeras 1 & 2'', for 19 voices and 21 musicians (1987, Europeras include a piece for tape called ''Truckera'', also 1987) * ''
Five 5 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 5, five or number 5 may also refer to: * AD 5, the fifth year of the AD era * 5 BC, the fifth year before the AD era Literature * ''5'' (visual novel), a 2008 visual novel by Ram * ''5'' (comics), an awa ...
'', for any five instruments or voices (January 1988) * ''Solos for Voice 93–96'' (''Four Solos for Voice''), for voice(s) (April 1988) * ''
Seven 7 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 7 or seven may also refer to: * AD 7, the seventh year of the AD era * 7 BC, the seventh year before the AD era * The month of July Music Artists * Seven (Swiss singer) (born 1978), a Swiss recording artist ...
'', for flute, clarinet, percussion, piano, violin, viola and cello (May 1988) * '' Twenty-Three'', for 13 violins, 5 violas and 5 cellos (1988, before June 21) * ''Five Stone Wind'', for three performers with
clay drum A clay drum is a variety of percussion instrument found in various parts of the world. It may refer to: Idiophones *Ghatam, from India * Udu, from Nigeria Membranophones * Alligator drum once used in Neolithic China, made from clay and alligat ...
s, electronics and unspecified instruments (June – July 1988) * '' 1O1'', for orchestra (1988, before November 13) * ''
Four 4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures. In mathematics Four is the smallest c ...
'', for string quartet (1989, before May 9) * '' One2'', for 1 to 4 pianos (summer 1989) * ''
Three 3 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 3, three, or III may also refer to: * AD 3, the third year of the AD era * 3 BC, the third year before the AD era * March, the third month Books * '' Three of Them'' (Russian: ', literally, "three"), a 1901 ...
'', for three
recorder Recorder or The Recorder may refer to: Newspapers * ''Indianapolis Recorder'', a weekly newspaper * ''The Recorder'' (Massachusetts newspaper), a daily newspaper published in Greenfield, Massachusetts, US * ''The Recorder'' (Port Pirie), a news ...
s (July 1989) * '' Two2'', for two pianos (1989, after July 28) * '' One3 = 4′33″ (0′00″) + '', for solo performer (late 1989) * ''Sculptures Musicales'', for electronics (1989, before September 23) * ''Sports: Swinging'', after
Satie Eric Alfred Leslie Satie (, ; ; 17 May 18661 July 1925), who signed his name Erik Satie after 1884, was a French composer and pianist. He was the son of a French father and a British mother. He studied at the Conservatoire de Paris, Paris Conse ...
, for piano (1989) * ''The Beatles 1962–1970'', piano and, optionally, tape (1990, possibly 1989) * ''c Composed Improvisations'', for
bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
,
snare drum The snare (or side drum) is a percussion instrument that produces a sharp staccato sound when the head is struck with a drum stick, due to the use of a series of stiff wires held under tension against the lower skin. Snare drums are often used ...
and one-sided drums with or without jangles (1987–90) * '' One4'', for solo drummer (1990) * '' Fourteen'', for piano, flute/
piccolo The piccolo ( ; Italian for 'small') is a half-size flute and a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. Sometimes referred to as a "baby flute" the modern piccolo has similar fingerings as the standard transverse flute, but the so ...
, bass flute, clarinet,
bass clarinet The bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. Like the more common soprano B clarinet, it is usually pitched in B (meaning it is a transposing instrument on which a written C sounds as B), but it plays notes an octave bel ...
,
horn Horn most often refers to: *Horn (acoustic), a conical or bell shaped aperture used to guide sound ** Horn (instrument), collective name for tube-shaped wind musical instruments *Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various ...
, trumpet, 2 percussionists, 2 violins, viola, cello and double bass (1990, before May 12) * '' One5'', for piano (May 1990) * '' Europeras 3 & 4'', for 6 voices, 2 pianos, 12
victrola The Victor Talking Machine Company was an American recording company and phonograph manufacturer that operated independently from 1901 until 1929, when it was acquired by the Radio Corporation of America and subsequently operated as a subsidi ...
s and tape (1990, Europeras include a piece for tape called ''Truckera'', composed 1987) * '' One6'', for violin (June 1990) * '' Seven2'', for bass flute, bass clarinet, bass trombone, two percussionists with unspecified instruments, cello and contrabass (1990, before July 23) * '' One7'', for any sound-producing object (late 1990) * ''Scottish Circus'', for Scottish folk band of any number of musicians and any instruments/voices (September 1990) * '' Four2'', for
SATB SATB is an initialism that describes the scoring of compositions for choirs, and also choirs (or consorts) of instruments. The initials are for the voice types: S for soprano, A for alto, T for tenor and B for bass. Choral music Four-part harm ...
choir (October 1990) * '' One8'', for cello (April, 1991) * ''
108 108 may refer to: * 108 (number) * AD 108, a year * 108 BC, a year * 108 (artist) (born 1978), Italian street artist * 108 (band), an American hardcore band * 108 (emergency telephone number), an emergency telephone number in several states in Ind ...
'', for orchestra (April 1991) * '' Europera 5'', for 2 voices, piano, victrola, tape/TV/radio (1991, before April 12) * '' Eight'', for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, tenor trombone and
tuba The tuba (; ) is the lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibrationa buzzinto a mouthpiece. It first appeared in the mid-19th century, making it one of the ne ...
(1991, before May 14) * '' Three2'' for three percussionists with unspecified instruments (May 1991) * '' Four3'', for one or two pianos, twelve rainsticks and violin/
oscillator Oscillation is the repetitive or periodic variation, typically in time, of some measure about a central value (often a point of equilibrium) or between two or more different states. Familiar examples of oscillation include a swinging pendulum ...
, all operated by four performers (May 1991) * '' Five2'', for English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet and
timpani Timpani (; ) or kettledrums (also informally called timps) are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum categorised as a hemispherical drum, they consist of a membrane called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionall ...
(May 1991) * ''Lullaby'', for musical box (May 1991) * '' One9'', for shō (July 1991) * '' Two3'', for shō and five conch shells (July 1991) * '' Two4'', for violin and piano or shō (July 1991) * ''
Six 6 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 6 or six may also refer to: * AD 6, the sixth year of the AD era * 6 BC, the sixth year before the AD era * The month of June Science * Carbon, the element with atomic number 6 * 6 Hebe, an asteroid People ...
'', for six percussionists with unspecified instruments (September 1991) * '' 103'', for orchestra (September 1991) * '' Two5'', for piano and tenor trombone (October 1991) * '' Four4'', for percussionists with unspecified instruments (October 1991) * '' Four5'', for four
saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...
s (October 1991) * '' Five3'', for trombone and string quartet (October 1991) * '' Five4'', for soprano saxophone, alto saxophone and 3 percussionists (October 1991) * '' Five5'', for flute, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet and percussion (October 1991) * ''Five Hanau Silence'', for tape (October 1991) * '' Ten'', for flute, oboe, clarinet, trombone, percussion, piano, 2 violins, viola and cello (October – November 1991) * '' Twenty-Six'', for 26 violins (December 1991) * '' Twenty-Eight'', for wind ensemble (December 1991) * '' Twenty-Nine'', for two timpani, two percussionists, piano and strings (December 1991) * '' Twenty-Eight, Twenty-Six and Twenty-Nine'', for orchestra (December 1991, a combination of ''Twenty-Six'', ''Twenty-Eight'' and ''Twenty-Nine'') * ''Mozart Mix'', for five cassette players (1991) * '' One10'', for violin (February 1992) * '' Sixty-Eight'', for orchestra (February 1992) * '' Eighty'', for orchestra (February 1992) * '' Four6'', for four performers with any means of producing sounds (March 1992) * '' Seventy-Four'', for orchestra (March 1992) * '' Fifty-Eight'', for wind orchestra (March 27, 1992) * '' Two6'', for violin and piano (April 1992) * ''
Thirteen Thirteen or 13 may refer to: * 13 (number), the natural number following 12 and preceding 14 * One of the years 13 BC, AD 13, 1913, 2013 Music * 13AD (band), an Indian classic and hard rock band Albums * ''13'' (Black Sabbath album), 2013 * ...
'', for flute, oboe, clarinet in B-flat, bassoon, trumpet in C, tenor trombone, tuba, 2 percussionists, 2 violins, viola and cello (May 14, 1992) * ''Muoyce II'' (''Writing through Ulysses''), for speaker and tapes (May 1992) * '' One11'', for solo
cinematographer The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the photographing or recording of a film, television production, music video or other live action piece. The cinematographer is the ch ...
(1992) * '' One12'', for solo lecturer (1992, before June 22)


Happenings

* ''Black Mountain Piece'', mixed-media performance (1952, only a fragment survives) * '' Variations V'', audio-visual performance (1965) * '' Variations VII'', mixed-media performance (1966) * ''Musicircus'', mixed-media performance (1967) * ''Newport Mix'', event with audience-provided tape loops (1967) * ''Reunion'', event (1968) * ''Mewantemooseicday'', event (1969) * ''33'', installation with record players (1969) * ''Demonstration of the Sounds of the Environment'', event (1971) * ''Les chants de Maldoror pulvérisés par l'assistance même'', event (1971) * ''
Apartment House 1776 ''Apartment House 1776'' is a 1976 composition by the American composer John Cage, composed for the United States Bicentennial and premiered by six orchestras across the country in 1976. The work was commissioned jointly by the orchestras of Bost ...
'', mixed-media event (1976) * ''Address'', mixed-media event (1977) * ''Sounday'' (''Toneday''), radio event (1978) * ''Concerto Grosso'', installation (1979) * ''Paragraphs of Fresh Air'', radio event (1979) * ''Silent Environment'' (1979) * ''Evéne/Environne METZment'' (1981) * ''A House Full of Music'', for 200 performers from music schools (1982) * ''Musicircus for Children'' (1984, based on ''A House Full of Music'')


Collaborations

* ''Marriage at the Eiffel Tower'', for two pianos and various objects (1939) – with Henry Cowell,
George Frederick McKay George Frederick McKay (June 11, 1899 – October 4, 1970) was a prolific modern American composer. Biography McKay was born in the small frontier wheat farming town of Harrington, Washington. His family later moved to Spokane, where he att ...
,
Silvestre Revueltas Silvestre Revueltas Sánchez (December 31, 1899 – October 5, 1940) was a Mexican composer of classical music, a violinist and a conductor. Life Revueltas was born in Santiago Papasquiaro in Durango, and studied at the National Conservatory ...
, and
Amadeo Roldán Amadeo Roldán y Gardes (Paris, 12 June 1900 – Havana, 7 March 1939) was a Cuban composer and violinist. Roldán was born in Paris to a Cuban mulatta and a Spanish father. It was his mother, the pianist Albertina Gardes, who initiated her ch ...
* ''Double Music'', for four percussionists (1941) – with
Lou Harrison Lou Silver Harrison (May 14, 1917 – February 2, 2003) was an American composer, music critic, music theorist, painter, and creator of unique musical instruments. Harrison initially wrote in a dissonant, ultramodernist style similar to his for ...
* ''Party Pieces: Sonorous and Exquisite Corpses'', for any melodic and/or keyboard instruments (1945) – with Henry Cowell, Lou Harrison and
Virgil Thomson Virgil Thomson (November 25, 1896 – September 30, 1989) was an American composer and critic. He was instrumental in the development of the "American Sound" in classical music. He has been described as a modernist, a neoromantic, a neoclass ...
* ''Music for "Museum Event No. 5"'', mixed-media performance (1967) – with Toshi Ichiyanagi, Gordon Mumma and
David Tudor David Eugene Tudor (January 20, 1926 – August 13, 1996) was an American pianist and composer of experimental music. Life and career Tudor was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He studied piano with Irma Wolpe and composition with Stefan W ...
*"
HPSCHD ''HPSCHD'' (pronounced as initials: eɪtʃ-piː-ɛs-siː-eɪtʃ-di:, although Cage himself said the title is "Harpsichord") is a composition for harpsichord and computer-generated sounds by American avant-garde composers John Cage (1912–1992) and ...
", for harpsichord and computer-generated sounds (1967–1969) – with
Lejaren Hiller Lejaren Arthur Hiller Jr. (February 23, 1924, New York City – January 26, 1994, Buffalo, New York)Lejaren Hi ...
* ''Vis-à-vis'', for two performers (1986) – with
Toru Takemitsu TORU or Toru may refer to: * TORU, spacecraft system * Toru (given name), Japanese male given name * Toru, Pakistan, village in Mardan District of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan *Tõru Tõru is a village in Saaremaa Parish, Saare County in western ...


Arrangements

* Arrangement of ''
Socrate ''Socrate'' is a work for voice and piano (or small orchestra) by Erik Satie. First published in 1919 for voice and piano, in 1920 a different publisher reissued the piece "revised and corrected". Wolfgang Rathert and Andreas Traub, "Zu einer bi ...
'' (
Erik Satie Eric Alfred Leslie Satie (, ; ; 17 May 18661 July 1925), who signed his name Erik Satie after 1884, was a French composer and pianist. He was the son of a French father and a British mother. He studied at the Paris Conservatoire, but was an und ...
) (1944 or 1947) * Adaptation of ''Ixion'' (
Morton Feldman Morton Feldman (January 12, 1926 – September 3, 1987) was an American composer. A major figure in 20th-century classical music, Feldman was a pioneer of indeterminate music, a development associated with the experimental New York School ...
) for chamber ensemble or 2 pianos (1958) * Collage of some ''Studies for Player Piano'' (
Conlon Nancarrow Samuel Conlon Nancarrow (; October 27, 1912 – August 10, 1997) was an American- Mexican composer who lived and worked in Mexico for most of his life. Nancarrow is best remembered for his ''Studies for Player Piano'', being one of the first ...
) on tape (1964) * Adaptation of some ''Studies for Player Piano'' (Conlon Nancarrow) (1969)


Unfinished and incomplete works

* ''Quest'', for various objects (first movement) and piano (second movement) (1935, only the second movement survives) * ''Chess Pieces'', for piano (1943) * ''Encounter'', for piano (1946) * Unfinished work for voice (1953) * Unfinished work for magnetic tape (c. 1952–53) * '' One13'', for one live cello and recordings of three cellos (1992) * '' Sixteen'', for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, bass trombone, piano, 2 percussionists, 2 violins, viola, cello and double bass (1992)


Lost works

This section lists works for which the location of manuscript is unknown, or which possibly were not notated. * Untitled composition, 1931 * ''Etudes'', for piano (1932, possibly same as the untitled composition of 1931) * ''Duet'', for two flutes (1934) * ''Music for Xenia'', for piano (1934) * Allemande for clarinet (1934) * String Quartet (1936) * '' Music for an Aquatic Ballet'' (1938) * ''25 Ballets in 1 act for a solo dancer'' (1939) * ''Ho to AA'', for voice and piano (1939) * ''America was promises'', for voice and piano 4 hands (1940) * ''Four songs of the moment'', for piano (1940) * ''Prelude to Flight'', for piano? (1940) * ''Spiritual'', for piano (1940) * ''Opening dance'', for piano (1942) * '' Shimmera'', for prepared piano (1942) * ''
Lidice Lidice (, german: Liditz) is a municipality and village in Kladno District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 600 inhabitants. Lidice is built near the site of the previous village of the same name, which was co ...
'', for prepared piano (1943) * ''The Feast'', for piano (1945) * ''Thin Cry'', for piano (1945) * ''Foreboding'', for piano (1946) * ''Orestes'', for piano? (1948) * ''Music for Carillon No. 6'', dedicated to Morton Feldman (1961) * ''First Week of June'' (1970) * ''Untitled (work for Joao Miró)'', for piano (1970) * ''52/3'' (1972) * ''Music for "Westbeth"'', for piano? (1974) * ''Pools'', for a single performer (1978, based on ''Inlets'') * ''
Seventeen Seventeen or 17 may refer to: *17 (number), the natural number following 16 and preceding 18 * one of the years 17 BC, AD 17, 1917, 2017 Literature Magazines * ''Seventeen'' (American magazine), an American magazine * ''Seventeen'' (Japanese m ...
'', (1992, possibly similar to ''Sixteen'' or does not exist) * ''Otte'', for violin (1992, spurious, probably not by Cage or does not exist)


Literary works

*'' Silence: Lectures and Writings'' (1961) *'' A Year from Monday'' (1968) *'' M'' (1973) *'' Empty Words'' (1979) *'' X'' (1983)


References


External links


John Cage works catalogue at the John Cage database
contains details on individual pieces, exact dates of composition and first performances, an extensive discography, etc.

compiled by Paul van Emmerik, alphabetical

includes an alphabetic list as well; details on individual compositions (some minor errors and omissions)

with details on events and a list of lost works {{John Cage Cage, John