Composer

:

John Cage

Genre

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Keyboard

Style

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Character Piece

Compose Date

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1944

Average_duration

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2:11

Triple-Paced no. 2 is a musical composition by John Cage, an American composer, philosopher, and writer. The piece was composed in 1943 and premiered on May 16, 1944, at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. The composition consists of three movements, each of which is performed at a different tempo. The first movement is marked "moderately slow," the second "moderately fast," and the third "very slow." The piece is scored for a small ensemble of instruments, including piano, percussion, and strings. One of the defining characteristics of Triple-Paced no. 2 is its use of chance operations. Cage was a pioneer of indeterminacy in music, and this piece is no exception. The performers are instructed to make certain decisions based on chance procedures, such as rolling dice or flipping coins. For example, the percussionist is instructed to choose which instruments to play based on the roll of a die. Another notable feature of the piece is its use of silence. Cage was known for his interest in silence as a musical element, and Triple-Paced no. 2 includes several moments of silence throughout the three movements. These silences are notated in the score and are an integral part of the composition. Overall, Triple-Paced no. 2 is a prime example of Cage's experimental approach to music. By incorporating chance operations and silence into the composition, he challenged traditional notions of what music could be and opened up new possibilities for future generations of composers.

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