Variations III (John Cage)
Three realizations of John Cage’s Variations III, a score that gives instructions for executing a chance procedure without specifying an interpretation or what kinds of sounds might be made. Performed at The Stone (NYC) in September 2012 as part of the conceptual music group Gemini Society.
Version 1, for amplified light and street noise:
Two performers move through the dark, each holding flashlights amplified with contact microphones. The chance procedure determines when to turn the flashlights on or off, as well as the position of the performers and the direction of each flashlight. The live ambient sounds from outside the venue are simultaneously played through the sound system. Video here.Version 2, for performer and architectural elements:
The chance procedure determines how the performer interacts with various objects and structural features in and around the bathroom of The Stone’s blackbox space, as in Cage’s Water Walk.
Version 3, for words and heartbeats:
A selection of the 500 most common English words, chosen using a chance procedure, is projected onto a screen. While watching the screen, performers use stethoscopes to amplify their heartbeats, and disposable stethoscopes are given to the audience to also listen to their own or their neighbors'. By meditating and reacting to each word in sequence, their heartbeats change together.