| Category: | Musical composition |
| Dated: | Started in January 1974. Finished in 1975. Nr.26 composed in December 1974. |
| Instrumentation: | Piano |
| Duration: | |
| Premiere and performer(s): | |
| Dedicated to: | for Grete Sultan |
| Choreography: | --- |
| Published: | Edition Peters 6816 a/b/c/d © 1975 by Henmar Press |
| Manuscript: | Sketches (holograph in ink and pencil - 9 lvs.); Sketches (holograph (photocopies) - 12 lvs.); Star tracings (holograph in blue and purple pencil on tracing paper - 12 p.); Sketches (holograph in ink and black, purple and blue pencil - 34 p.); Sketches, lacking Etudes 4-6, 9, 11, 14-17 (holograph in pencil - 62 p.) all in New York Public Library. Sketch for Etude 6 (1 lf.); Draft of Etude 6 (2 lvs.), both in Berlin, collection Gelbe Musik. Draft, incomplete (7 lvs.), Bochum, Galerie Inge Baecker. |
| This work consists of single tones and chords derived from the star charts of the Atlas Australis. There are 32 Etudes, grouped
into 4 books of 8 Etudes each. The Etudes were written as duets for 2 independant hands and they use conventional notation.
No markings for dynamics of attack or decay, no instructions for pedal and no instructions for how to interprate the notes
are given in the score.
Sources: James Pritchett: The Music of John Cage; Paul van Emmerik: Thema's en Variaties; David Revill: The Roaring Silence; Richard Kostelanetz: Writings about John Cage |