Imaginary Landscape No.5



Category: Musical composition
Dated: January 12, 1952
Instrumentation: Score for making a recording on tape, using as material any 42 phonographic records.
Duration: 4'
Premiere and performer(s): January 18, 1952 at Hunter Playhouse, performed with the choreography.
Dedicated to:
Choreography: Portrait of a Lady by Jean Erdman
Published: Edition Peters 6719 © 1961 by Henmar Press
Manuscript: Score (holograph, signed, in ink - 6 p.); Sketch (holograph in pencil - 1 lf.); Notes (typescript - 1 lf.), all in New York Public Library.


The piece is a collage of fragments from the records, recorded on tape. In Cage's version he mostly used jazz records, partly because the dance had a character that suggested popular music, and partly to overcome his aversion to jazz.
The compositional method was using the I-Ching, creating a chart work with a five to five structure.