Composer

:

John Cage

Genre

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Keyboard

Style

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Character Piece

Compose Date

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1946

Average_duration

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7:13

John Cage's "Ophelia" is a composition for solo voice and piano, composed in 1946. The piece was premiered on May 16, 1946, at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, as part of a concert of Cage's works. The composition consists of three movements, each of which is based on a text from Shakespeare's play "Hamlet." The first movement, "Her Problem," uses Ophelia's lines from Act III, Scene 1, in which she laments her love for Hamlet and his rejection of her. The second movement, "Upon the Bough," uses Ophelia's lines from Act IV, Scene 5, in which she sings a song about a lover who has left her. The third movement, "The Letter," uses a letter that Ophelia writes to Hamlet in Act IV, Scene 5, in which she expresses her love for him and her confusion about his behavior. Cage's composition is characterized by his use of chance operations to determine the pitch and rhythm of the music. The piano part is notated conventionally, but the vocal part is notated using a system of graphic symbols that allow the performer to choose the pitch and rhythm of each note. The performer is also instructed to sing the text in a "natural" manner, without regard for traditional vocal techniques or expression. The result is a highly unconventional and unpredictable piece of music that reflects Cage's interest in exploring the boundaries of musical expression. "Ophelia" is a prime example of Cage's use of chance operations and his rejection of traditional musical forms and techniques.

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