Water Walk

1959

By John Cage

Item Number: PE.EP6771

ISBN 9790300743981.

Composed in 1959. Premiered on "Lascia o Raddoppia," a TV program televised in Milan, Feb 5, 1959. Subsequently performed on "I've Got a Secret," the popular American game show, Feb 24, 1960.

For solo television performance involving a large number of properties and a special single-track tape, 7.5 i.p.s. In one of his manuscripts, Cage indicated a subtitle for Water Walk as Water Music No. 2". Like his Sounds of Venice, it was composed for the Italian TV quiz "Lascia O Raddoppia", using Fontana Mix as the composing means. In it, Cage used 34 materials, as well as a single-track tape, 7 1/2", 3 minutes. The materials required are mostly related to water, i.e. bath tub, toy fish, pressure cooker, ice cubes (and an electric mixer to crush them), rubber duck, etc., but Cage also calls for a grand piano and 5 radios. The score consists of a list of properties, a floor plan showing the placements of instruments and objects, three pages with a timeline (one minute each) with descriptions and pictographic notations of occurrence of events, and a list of notes "regarding some of the actions to be made in the order of occurrence.” Timings are not accurate: "Start watch and then time actions as closely as possible to their appearance in the score" (from score). Water Walk led Cage to compose his Theatre Piece.