The Complete John Cage Variations JohnCage’seightVariations(1958-67)occupyauniquepositioninthecomposer’soutput.Bythelate1950s,Cage

hadmadesignificantprogressinexploringtheuseofindeterminatesoundsources(suchasradioandLPrecordings),arangeofchanceproceduresforgeneratingnotationandits’indeterminacy.Hisattentionnowturnedtowardsthe“flexibility”offormalstructureitself,andtheeightVariationsweretheprincipalvehiclefortheexplorationofthisidea.

ThisisthefirsttimeanyonehaspresentedtheentireVariationsinoneprogram.KeytoDecibel’srealizationoftheseworkshasbeen thepreparationof the instantaneousmobilescreenscores forVariations I, IIand III, IV,VandVI.Here, thecomplex tasks involvingmeasuring andmapping angles of cut out pieces of transparency are performed by the computer,generatingareal-timeoutcomeinainstantlyperformablenotationorplan.DecibelhavedevelopedaniPadAppfortheentireVariations set, in conjunction with Cage’s publisher, Peters. The programworks with local collaborators in addition to theensembleandhastouredaroundAustraliaandItaly,andwillbereleasedonModelaterin2015.

Formoredetailontheprogramandsomesoundsamplegohere.

TheJohnCageCompleteVariationsProject:PerformedbyDecibel

WhenCagediedin1992heleftanincrediblelegacytotheworldofmusicandart,asacomposer,theorist,philosopher,performer and visual artist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musicalinstruments, Cage was one of the leading figures of the post-war avant-garde. Critics have lauded him as one of themostinfluential American composers of the Twentieth century. He was also instrumental in the development of modern dance,

mostly through his association with choreographer MerceCunningham. Cage’s teachers included Henry Cowell andArnoldSchoenberg,knownfortheirownradicalinnovationsinmusic, but Cage's major influences lay in various East andSouthAsiancultures.ThroughhisstudiesofIndianphilosophyandZenBuddhisminthelate1940s,Cagecametotheideaofaleatoric or chance-controlled music, which he startedcomposing in1951. Ina1957 lecture,ExperimentalMusic,hedescribed music as "a purposeless play" which is "anaffirmationoflife–notanattempttobringorderoutofchaosnortosuggest improvements increation,butsimplyawayofwakinguptotheverylifewe'reliving".

JohnCage’seightVariations (1958-67)occupyauniqueposition in thecomposer’soutput.By the late1950s,Cagehadmade significant progress in exploring theuseof indeterminate sound sources (such as radio and LP recordings), a rangeofchanceproceduresforgeneratingnotationandits’indeterminacy.Hisattentionnowturnedtowardsthe“flexibility”offormalstructureitself,andtheeightVariationsweretheprincipalvehiclefortheexplorationofthisidea,constitutingnearlyaquarterof his compositional output during this period. In theVariations, Cage expanded his investigation of instrumentation, sonicmaterials,theperformancespaceandtheenvironment.Theworkschartanevolutionfromthe“personal”sound–worldoftheperformerandthescore,toavisionpotentiallyembracingthetotalityofsoundonaglobalscale.AfterhisorchestralworkAtlasEclipticalis (1961–62), a fully notated work based on star charts, Cage gradually shifted to, in his own words, "music (notcomposition)."VariationsV andVIIare in fact "happenings",anart formestablishedbyCageandhis students in late1950s,wheretheconceptofpassingtimeisarrestedinsomeform.

This is the first time anyone has attempted to present the entire Variations in one program. Decibel undertook thisambitious project because therewe found a particulbar affinitywith theworks – therewas something of the group and itsmembers’interestsineveryoneoftheVariations.ThematerialscalledforintheseworksmapCage’s-andDecibel’s-interestsin technology, spatialisation, multimedia, happenings and sounds ‘of the air’. Preparing the works raises questions about

ASSOCIATED PROGRAMS: Lectures on the program, workshops on the works and the Decibel Score Reader. Local and/or student dance and music participation in the concert presentation encouraged. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS: piano, 2x bass amps, moveable quadraphonic speaker set up, 5 mic stands, 3 music stands, several joinable tables, 3 spot lights on the floor, 5 chairs, projector and screen. The program is around 80 minutes with interval.

‘authentic’or ‘period’performance intechnologydrivenartworks;whentoapplynewtechnologiesandpossibilitiestoworkswhere the very idea of ‘new’ was in some ways integral to the works conception. Decibel have combined a variety ofapproacheswithintheprogramthatincludetheincorporationofnewtechnologiesaswellasmaintainingperiodinstruments,butalwayskeepingthespiritoftheworksintact.

Key to Decibel’s realization of these works has been the preparation of the instantaneous mobile screen scores forVariationsI,II,III,andVIaswellastheperformancemapsforVariationsIVandV.Here,thecomplextasksinvolvingmeasuringandmapping anglesof cut outpiecesof transparency areperformedby the computer, generating a real-timeoutcome in ainstantlyperformablenotationorplan,informedbyyearsofworkingwithgraphicscorecreationandinterpretation.Decibel’snetworked computer system and experience with mobile screen score readers has offered a unique perspective on thepossibilitiesforthesescores,andhasresultedinthedevelopmentofaniPadAppfortheentireVariationsset, inconjunctionwithCage’spublisher,Peters (due for release late2015).This systemeradicate the ‘cheating’ that can sometimeshappen insuch complex, aleatoric works, yet the ‘chance process’ so important in the preparation of the scores remains intact. Theprogramming developed for the Decibel piece The Talking Board (Vickery & Hope, 2011) is used to facilitate the requiredreadingoftheastronomicalmapbymusiciansanddancersalikeinVariationsV.VariationsVIIisupdatedtobenefitfromnewtechnologies incommunications,andVariationVIIIpresents theperfectconclusion toCage’sexplorationof theverybasisofmusic.

TheComplete John Cage Variations was premiered during Decibel’s tour of Europe in February 2012 as part of CurvaMinore’s‘JohnCage100Years’Festival,attheGoetheinstituteinPalermo,Italy.Ithasalsobeenpresentedaspartofthe‘Cagein Us’ Festival in Brisbane, Queensland, the Scale Variable Chamber Music Series in Perth, Western Australia as well as inMalaysia and throughout Italy in 2013. This tour to the USA co-incides with the release of Decibel’s Complete John CageVariationsonNYlabelMODE,andthereleaseofaniPadAppofthesamenamethroughPetersEdition.

http://www.decibelnewmusic.com/the-complete-john-cage-variations-project.html

PROGRAMDETAIL1. Variations I (1958) This work is dedicated to David Tudor, Cage’s long termcollaborator.Thescoreconsistsofsixtransparentsquaresheetsofpointsandlinestobearrangedbytheperformerspriortoperformance,whoserelationshipspointtocombinations of volume, pitch, timbre, duration and events. Decibel digitallygenerate ‘versions’ according to aleatoric algorithms which generates a mobilescore,uniqueforeachperformer,networkedoverthescorereadersandperformedonbassflute,bassclarinetandcello.

2. Variations II (1961) The score again consists of transparent sheets of lines andpointsyetdevelopsthe ideas inVariations Ibygivingtheperformersslightlymorefreedom in the way the arrangements are interpreted. Also generated by the computer, this work isperformed byfourmusiciansandincludessubtleelectronicsasa‘soundproducingmeans’.

3. Variations III (1962)was often performed solo by Cage himself. The scoreconsists of two sheets of transparentplastic: one is blank, the other has 42identicalcirclesonitwhicharetobecutoutanddroppedontotheblankpage.The areawhere themost circles are linked is the score to be read, using theinterceptingpointsonthecirclesas‘actions’.Againthisprocessisautomatedonthecomputerandtheperformer–onasnaredrumandamradiointhiscase-maykeepgeneratingalternativesuntil they findone tosettleonandperform.Decibel perform this on solo snare witha.m.radio.

4. Variations IV (1963) This is oftendescribed as the pivotal work in thevariations series, where Cage begins

todiscussthedistributionofsounds inspaceaswellassuggestingthattheperformerdo“otheractivities”inadditiontomusic.Thisscoreconsistsofsevenpointsandtwocirclesontransparent sheets which are to be used inconjunctionwith amap of the performancevenuetocreateakindofperformance‘diagram’whichexplainswhere,notwhat,soundshappensduring thework.Again, this isautomatedby thecomputer,and theperformerschoose which version to perform as they generate options in realtime during theperformance.

5.VariationsV(1965)ThisworkwascreatedincollaborationwiththeMerceCunninghamDanceCompanyandcanbethoughtofasoneof the firstmixedmediaperformanceworks. It featured theconstructionofelectronicdevicesmadebynumberofprominentelectronicmusiciansanddesignersofthetime,suchasMaxMathews,RobertMoog,DavidTudor,BillyKluver,NamJunPaikandwithfilmmadebyStanVanDerBeek.Asinthefirstperformance,Decibelusesshortwaveradios,oscillatorsandprerecorded tapesdistributed over six speakers in the hall. These sounds are triggered andmanipulated by dancermovementpickedupbyphotocells,Theraminantennae,and livecamerafeeds.Decibelperformthispiecewithoneormoredancesandothermusiccollaboratorsfromthelocation.Itfeaturesadaptedelectronics,includingpurposebuiltproximityantennas(byMegTravers)andlightsensitivedevices(byKarlFord),withattentiongiventothedetailoftheoriginalperformance.

INTERVAL

1. Variations VI (1966) is anelectro-centricwork forasmany sound sourcesandspeakersasarechosentobeavailable,andreturnstothetransparencymethodofcreating a kind of performance map. Selected shapes dictate the association ofcomponents to systems, and the direction of sound. Here, the shapes providedindicate performance ‘styles’ depending on how they drop on the page; namely‘continuous’ or ‘non continuos’ approaches.Decibel present thisVariationwith adifferent approach to the original, which includedan enormous collection ofelectroniccircuitry,radios,tapeandatelevisionscreensinamultiroomedvenue.Using Cage’s original calligraphy, the scores is generated immediately before theperformance, having inputted the parameters available for that particularperformance. Decibel perform this on electric bass/analogue effects and

cello/digitaleffectsduo.

2.VariationsVII (1967)returnstoa‘retrospective’textscore,asinVariationsV,suggestingan electro acoustic system inwhich performers act in a free and unscriptedmanner, butusingonlysoundsthatarecreatedduringtheperformanceinrealtime,orfound‘intheair’.Themovements of themusicians trigger and interferewith sounds through light sensors,and Skype is used to dial up people as Cage did withtelephones in the originalperformances. Decibel, in conjunction with local collaborators ‘contemporise’ the sonicpaletteinthiswork,usingcontemporytechnologiestorealiseCage’svision.

3. Variations VIII (1968). The published score consists of one page of almost illegiblehandwriting but the words "no music no recordings" are clearly legible.Performed byDecibel member Lindsay VIckery using his no input feedback system on bass clarinet,VariationsVIIIrepresentsCage’sultimatestatementaddressingtheverynatureofsoundintheworld.

Decibel is a newmusic ensemble based in Perth,WesternAustralia devoted to performingworks that explore the nexus ofacousticandelectronicinstruments.Pioneeringuniqueelectronicscoreformatsandgivingelectronicmusicinstrumentsavoiceintheacousticspace,Decibelalsoarrangeelectronicworksforliveperformance.DecibelarecommittedtoAustralianmusicandemergingWesternAustraliancomposers,aswellassharingimportantinternationalworkswithAustralianaudiences.Decibel’sannual program 2009-2010 (their first) won the 2011 AMC/APRA Art Music Awards Inaugral Award for Excellence inExperimentalMusic,andhavebeennominatedagain thisyear.Theyhave touredAustralia,AsiaandEurope, released threealbumsoftheirownmusicaswellasofmusicbyAlvinLucier(Pogus,2013)andCage(Mode,2015inpress).

http://www.decibelnewmusic.comtwitterfeed@DecibelNewMusicDecibelare:CatHope-artisticdirector,flute,bassguitar,electronics.StuartJames–piano,livevideofeed,networkdesign,programmingandelectronicsLindsayVickery-reeds,programming,electronicsTristenParr–celloandelectronicsAaronWyatt-violin,viola,programmingandradios.