John Cage (1912-1992)
Autograph music manuscript signed (on title, 'John Cage'), sixth player's part for First Construction (in Metal), Seattle, Washington, November 1939
Title, note of 'Orchestra and Notation' and six pages, 318 x 242mm, in black ink, with occasional pencil annotations in another hand; with a copy of the published score of the work (C.F. Peters, 1962). Provenance: with David Schulson Autographs.

Sixth percussionist's part for this early, milestone work. Reflecting Cage's innovative and idiosyncratic orchestration, the sixth player's part is variously for thundersheet, water gong, tam tam, suspended gong and muted gongs. This manuscript part shows numerous variants both in rhythm and pitch from the published score.

Cage composed his three Constructions whilst working at the Cornish School of the Arts in Seattle: the First Construction, for percussion sextet with assistant, marked a significant milestone in Cage's compositional technique, with the use of fixed 'rhythmic structures'. According to johncage.org: 'The rhythmic structure of this work is 4-3-2-3-4, 16 x 16 4/4 measures. It is Cage's first composition using fixed rhythmic structures. He uses standard as well as many unconventional instruments, including 8 anvils, a water gong, and 4 car brake drums'. It was premiered in Seattle on 9 December 1939.