John Cage Structure Flashcards
How many bars long is each section?
30
How many sections are there in total?
9
Which 2 sections are the same?
8 & 9
How can you tell when a section finishes in the score?
Double bar line
How is each section sub-divided?
Into 3 units. The first unit has a bar shape of 2-5-2, the second 2-6-2 and the third 2-7-2. So the middle of each unit gets larger by one bar each time.
What do the figures/numbers above the score mean?
They show the player the bar structure of each unit - e.g. in the first unit a number appears after bars, then 5 bars, then 2 bars.
In the 2-5-2/2-6-2/2-7-2 units, how is each smaller section similar and different?
Sometimes the rhythm will remain the same or very similar (e.g. piano 2 RH b1-7). At other times the rhythm may change (e.g. piano 1 compare b1-2 with b3-7).
What tradition inspired the rhythmic units for each section?
Indian classical music - rhythmic cycles known as a ‘tala’.
True or false - the rhythmic content of each section is different?
True, apart from sections 8 & 9 being identical.
In piano 2, how does the music at figure 13 relate to the music at the beginning? And why is this significant?
It is the same music.
The music is typically not the same from one section to another, so this is interesting.
Why is a crotchet G significant in terms of the whole piece?
The note reoccurs on multiple occasions during the piece, such as at figure 2, 5, 14, 38, 55 etc.
What is the most important element of the music?
Rhythm, followed closely by timbre (the type/quality of sound).
What is polyrhythm?
When you have 2 or more rhythms occurring at the same time, but one feels like it is in a different time signature (metre) to the other one.
Give an example of polyrhythm in Dance No. 1.
The opening unit of section one has piano one doing rhythms that feel like 3 metre, against the piano 2 doing a pattern in 2 metre.
Why is piano 1’s part at figure 2 (bar 3) quite difficult?
The right hand has to play a rhythm in 2/2 metre, but the left continues to play quavers that feel like they are in a metre of 3.
What does it mean when a note is described as being on an ‘off-beat’?
When the note falls on a weaker beat or a weaker half of the beat (e.g. in 4 time, the off-beat is beats 2 and 4)
How does Cage help emphasise notes that fall on an ‘off-beat’?
With accents.
What are the most common note values used in the piece?
Crotchets & quavers.
When and for what purpose does Cage use longer note values (e.g. minims)?
To mark the end of a section.
What is a septuplet?
7 equal notes in the time it would take to normally do 4.
What does Cage use septuplets for and where?
As an ornament (decorating a line). They can be seen at figure 22, 23 etc.
What does the term ‘moto perpetuo’ mean?
Continuous movement.
How does Cage create a sense of ‘moto perpetuo’ throughout the piece?
Through the use of continuous quavers, for example at the end this is particularly prominent. This ‘drives’ the music onwards.
What is a musical phrase?
A short section of melody or rhythm, perhaps only 2 or 4 bars long.
What is metrical shifting?
When a phrase is repeated, but it begins on a different beat of the bar compared to before. This is also sometimes known as ‘rhythmic displacement’.
When does Cage use rhythmic displacement/metrical shifting?
A good example of Cage using rhythmic displacement is found at figure 14. Here, a short phrase is stated beginning on beat one. In the next bar the phrase is re-stated, but begins on beat 2 etc.
Define ‘fragmentation of a phrase’.
Fragmentation means breaking something down into a smaller unit. In musical terms this means taking a small piece (fragment) of a phrase and stating it on its own, rather than the whole phrase.
Where does Cage use fragmentation?
A good example is in bar 46 (just before figure 15), where the phrase in the right hand of piano 1 is fragmented.
What is note addition?
Note addition is when a phrase is repeated, but extended through the addition of a note.
Where does Cage use note addition?
Cage interestingly uses note addition in bar 44 piano 1 RH. This is interesting, as it is combined with the technique of rhythmic displacement.