1
7

*

In America when I was setting out to write the 
orchestral parts of my recent Concert for Piano and
Orchestra
 which was performed Sept. 19th in Köln,
I visited each player, found out what he could do
with his instruments, discovered with him other 
possibilities, and then subjected all these findings
to chance operations, ending up with a part that was
quite indeterminate of its performance. After a 
general rehearsal, during which the musicians heard
the result of their several actions, some of them,
not all,
 introduced in the actual performance sounds
of a nature not found in my notations, characterized
for the most part by their intentions which had 
become foolish and unprofessional. In Köln hoping
to avoid this unfortunate state of affairs, I worked
with each musician individually and the general 
rehearsal was silent. (I should let you know that
the conductor has no score but has only his own 
part. So that, though he effects the other 
performers, he does not control them.) Well, anyway,
the result was in some cases just as unprofessional
in Köln as in New York. I must find a way to let 
people be free without their becoming foolish. So
that their freedom will make them noble. How will
I do this? That is the question.





Index . Help
Indeterminacy . text © John Cage

Source
Transcript of story 17, Indeterminacy... Ninety Stories by John Cage, With Music, ca. 16'00" to 17'00" (see this variant)
From John Cage's Lecture ‘Indeterminacy’, 16'00" to 17'00", in Die Reihe No. 5, English edition, p.118 (1961, Theodore Presser Co., ed. Herbert Eimert and Karlheinz Stockhausen) (shown)
From “How to Pass, Kick, Fall, and Run”, A Year from Monday, p.135 (see this variant)