Ne(x)tworks: Cage's "Variations IV", Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center

Thursday, October 4, 2012 at 8:30pm
Target Free Thursdays
David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center, Frieda and Roy Furman Stage

To celebrate iconoclastic American composer John Cage's centenary, local creative music ensemble Ne(x)tworks (with special guest R. Luke DuBois on video) presents the evening-length work "Variations IV" (1963). Fourth in a series of classic indeterminate works from the 1960's, "Variations IV" is a seminal exploration of simultaneity and site-specificity, and is Cage's composerly representation of the Hindu/Buddhist concept samsara or "the turmoil of everyday life."

Transparencies with dots and circles are dropped on a map of the David Rubenstein Atrium, the results or which are then used to locate individual "sound sources" within the space. The material heard from these sources is not specified. Ne(x)tworks' realization of "Variations IV" identifies the individual live musicians as the sound sources, asking each player to present a unique repertoire of exclusively Cage compositions from their chance-determined position in space.

A handful of the works being performed include "Music for…" (1984-87), various "Solo"'s from "Concert for Piano and Orchestra" (1958), "Four6" (1992), "Aria" (1958) (performed by close Cage associate, vocalist Joan La Barbara), "Variations II" (1961), "Experiences II" (1948), "Atlas Eclipticalis" (1961), among many others. The Atrium's theatrical lighting and DuBois' video projections will also occur based on chance operations. Audience is welcome to sit and enjoy the performances or move about the room to experience the music from varying vantage points.

Ne(x)tworks
Joan La Barbara – voice
Shelley Burgon - harp & laptop
Yves Dharamraj – cello
Miguel Frasconi - glass & laptop
Stephen Gosling – piano
Ariana Kim – violin
Christopher McIntyre - trombone, radios

Special Guests
R. Luke DuBois - video projection
David Shively - percussion

Variations IV on johncage.org
http://johncage.org/pp/John-Cage-Work-Detail.cfm?work_ID=236