Five works composed in the 40s by American composer John Cage. I would like to pick out one in particular: the Music for Marcel Duchamp. This five minute piece for prepared piano was composed for an experimental film by dadaist Hans Richter in the same year. The music was made for “Case number 4”, one scene in the movie, written by artist and writer Marcel Duchamp.
The piano it is played on is prepared, which means that there is all kinds of stuff put on the strings, or just in the instrument. When the corresponding keys are hit, not only the string, but also the items on or around it create sound. Cage asked for soft materials to be included, because of the recording of the piece for the film. He knew that too hard materials will cause unwanted vibrations.
Dadaism was the art style that tried to discover the furthest reaches of art by including day-to-day household items. Oftentimes the effect was shocking, and that was exactly the intention. In one part of Case number 4 we see a nude figure walking down the stairs. It is a reference to a much disputed painting by Duchamp called Nu descendant un escalier.