Composer

:

John Cage

Genre

:

Keyboard

Style

:

Open Form

Compose Date

:

1987

Average_duration

:

14:27

'One' is a composition by John Cage, premiered on August 17, 1989, at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. The piece is a solo for a percussionist, and it is one of Cage's last works before his death in 1992. The composition consists of four movements, each with its own set of instructions for the performer. The first movement, titled "Quietly Flowing Along," instructs the performer to play a series of soft, sustained sounds on a variety of percussion instruments. The second movement, "Slowly Rocking," asks the performer to play a series of slow, rhythmic patterns on a single instrument. The third movement, "Nearly Stationary," instructs the performer to play a series of short, staccato sounds on a variety of instruments. The final movement, "Quietly Flowing Along Again," is a repetition of the first movement, but with slightly different instructions. One of the characteristics of 'One' is its use of chance operations. Cage was known for his use of chance in his compositions, and 'One' is no exception. The performer is instructed to use a variety of techniques to determine which instruments to play, how long to play them, and what sounds to make. This creates a sense of unpredictability and spontaneity in the performance, as the performer must respond to the instructions in real-time. Another characteristic of 'One' is its use of silence. Cage was a pioneer of using silence as a musical element, and 'One' includes several moments of silence throughout the piece. These moments of silence allow the listener to focus on the sounds that come before and after, and they create a sense of tension and release in the music. Overall, 'One' is a unique and innovative composition that showcases Cage's experimental approach to music. Its use of chance operations and silence create a sense of unpredictability and tension, while its four movements provide a structure for the performer to follow.

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