''Nowth upon Nacht'' is a song for voice and piano by
John Cage. It was composed in 1984
in memoriam for
Cathy Berberian
Catherine Anahid Berberian (July 4, 1925 – March 6, 1983) was an American mezzo-soprano and composer based in Italy. She worked closely with many contemporary avant-garde music composers, including Luciano Berio, Bruno Maderna, John Cage, Henr ...
, the celebrated soprano singer, wife of composer
Luciano Berio
Luciano Berio (24 October 1925 – 27 May 2003) was an Italian composer noted for his experimental work (in particular his 1968 composition ''Sinfonia'' and his series of virtuosic solo pieces titled '' Sequenza''), and for his pioneering work ...
.
The text is from page 555–6 of
James Joyce
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and important writers of ...
's ''
Finnegans Wake
''Finnegans Wake'' is a novel by Irish writer James Joyce. It is well known for its experimental style and reputation as one of the most difficult works of fiction in the Western canon. It has been called "a work of fiction which combines a bod ...
'',
[Not in every edition though. The words in the original 1939 text of ''Finnegans Wake'' ar]
"now upon nacht"
Moreover, there are variants of the text which do not follow the 628-page layout, and in these, the quotation cannot be found on page 556. describing the darkest part of the night, and the activities of the characters, each written in a style reflecting their personalities. It follows the lyrical account of Infantina Isobel, who "night by silentsailing night
..evencalm lay sleeping", which Cage used earlier in ''
The Wonderful Widow of Eighteen Springs
''The Wonderful Widow of Eighteen Springs'' is a song for voice and closed piano by John Cage. It was composed in late 1942 and quickly became a minor classic in Cage's oeuvre. The text was a reworked version of a passage from James Joyce's ''Finn ...
.'' Joyce switches to guttural Germanic language, to describe Joe Sackerson, the drunken Scandinavian watchman of the pub:
The vocal line is declamatory and uses a small number of high pitches. The pianist does not touch the keys but produces noises by opening and shutting the piano lid three times, with the sustain pedal depressed. The piece is intended to be performed directly after
The Wonderful Widow of Eighteen Springs
''The Wonderful Widow of Eighteen Springs'' is a song for voice and closed piano by John Cage. It was composed in late 1942 and quickly became a minor classic in Cage's oeuvre. The text was a reworked version of a passage from James Joyce's ''Finn ...
.
Editions
* Edition Peters 67039. (c) 1984 by Henmar Press.
See also
*
List of compositions by John Cage
This is a list of compositions by John Cage (1912–1992), arranged in chronological order by year of composition.
List of works
Apprenticeship period (1932–36)
* ''Greek Ode'', for voice and piano (1932)
* ''First Chapter of Ecclesiastes'' ...
* ''
A Flower
''A Flower'' is a song for voice and closed piano by John Cage. It was composed in 1950, for a choreography by Louise Lippold, wife of sculptor Richard Lippold. There is no text; the singer vocalises a small number of phonemes such as "uh", "wa ...
''
References
External links
Jonh Cage's "Nowth upon Nacht", essay by Allen B. Ruch
1984 compositions
Compositions by John Cage
Finnegans Wake
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