Composer

:

John Cage

Genre

:

Chamber

Style

:

Chamber Music

Compose Date

:

1991

Average_duration

:

30:06

Ten is a composition by John Cage, which was composed in 1987. The piece was premiered on October 16, 1987, at the Merce Cunningham Dance Company's studio in New York City. Ten is a work for a solo performer, and it consists of ten movements. Each movement of Ten is characterized by a different set of instructions for the performer. The first movement, for example, instructs the performer to play a single note on a piano or other keyboard instrument and hold it for as long as possible. The second movement instructs the performer to play a series of notes in a particular rhythm, while the third movement instructs the performer to play a series of notes in a particular order. The fourth movement of Ten is perhaps the most unusual, as it instructs the performer to play a series of notes in a random order, determined by the roll of a die. The fifth movement instructs the performer to play a series of notes in a particular rhythm, but with the hands alternating between high and low registers of the keyboard. The remaining movements of Ten continue to provide the performer with a variety of instructions, including playing notes in a particular order, playing notes in a particular rhythm, and playing notes in a particular register of the keyboard. Overall, Ten is a highly experimental work that challenges the performer to explore the possibilities of their instrument in new and unconventional ways. The piece is also notable for its use of chance operations, which were a hallmark of Cage's compositional style.

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