John Cage Early Recordings Collection
As part of my research regarding early American percussion ensemble music, I began corresponding with Gordon Mumma about recordings that he acquired from John Cage in the 1970s. Found below is information that Gordon provided about the recordings as well as the digitized recordings that were digitized at and acquired from the Stanford Archive of Recorded Sound. The collection can be viewed in the Stanford Library catalogue here: John Cage Disc Collection.
The following is a two page document that Gordon wrote to share the story about how he acquired about these early recordings:
CageDisks#1.doc
Below are items related to Gordon Mumma’s CageDisks#1.doc file:
- The introductory text.
- The tabs, which are organized by disk and Cage’s “number-icons” or indexes in the order that they appear on the document created by Gordon, contain text about each disk and the recordings as obtained from the Stanford Archive of Recorded Sound.
- The original document that Gordon provided.
John Cage EARLY RECORDINGS CageDisks#1.doc 00/08/07 This copy for LETA MILLER Gordon Mumma: Information on the 16" diameter (radio format) 33 1/3 rpm recordings made by John Cage in the western United States from the late 1930s to 1942. In a single paper folder, with the written notation "for Mr. Earle Brown," are the following 10 disks, in order of Cage's number-icons, not necessarily in chronological order. Not all disks are numbered, and some numbers are missing. These 16" disks were certainly recorded at 33 1/3 rpm, but the needle-size may vary (there were several standards) and most were recorded in the center -> edge format (meaning that the disks were engraved from the center to the outside). Use of the later format (edge -> center), was developed circa 1940s, and its use overlapped the other format into the late 1940s. Other 16" recordings exist, after 1942 (catalogued in CageDisk#2.doc). N.B! Dates in square brackets after title are not on the recordings.
Disk in audioacoustics paper cover.
[a] Cage: Construction in Metal [First Construction (In Metal), 1939]
16″ NORTHERN RADIO COMPANY 33 1/3 RPM.
center->edge (recording pattern), 1 Track.
[b] Dirge (label partly missing, no composer’s name)
center->edge (recording pattern), 1 Track.
This is likely a composition by Mildred Couper, titled Dirge, and listed in David Revill’s book The Roaring Silence (p. 67): a work for two pianos tuned a quarter-tone apart, performed at the Cornish Theatre on 9 Dec. 1939, the same day as Cage’s Construction in Metal.
Two disks are in a single paper-cover envelope.
[a] Cage: Imaginary Landscape “3 copies” [most likely #1 of 1939?, not likely #2 of 1943]
16″ PRESTO NY 33 1/3 RPM.
center –> edge (recording pattern), 2 tracks on side a, 1 track on side b
[b] Cage: Imaginary Landscape 3rd copy(?)
16″ PRESTO NY 33 1/3 RPM.
center –> edge (recording pattern), 1 track
[a] Cage: Imaginary Landscape #1 “A side Imaginary Landscape #1 John Cage,” on the disk in Cage’s handwriting.
center –> edge (recording pattern), 1 track
[b] Two recorded tracks, no label, but etched on the center of disk: “Special Dance Dept. Recording #1”
16″ PRESTO NY 33 1/3 RPM.
center –> edge (recording pattern), 2 tracks
Disk in a single plain-cover envelope.
[a] William Russell: March and Foxtrot
16″ PRESTO NY 33 1/3 RPM.
center –> edge (recording pattern), 1 Track
[b] William Russell: March and Foxtrot
16″ PRESTO NY 33 1/3 RPM.
center –> edge (recording pattern), 2 Tracks
Disk in a single “GLASS BASE DISK” paper-covered envelope.
[a] & [b]
Amadeo Roldan: Ritmicas (from label on paper cover)
16″ NORTHERN RADIO COMPANY 33 1/3 RPM (PRESTO NY)
Partial labels on disk: one side with two takes (label unreadable), the other side has partial “Son Rumba” and the number “V”.
center –> edge (recording pattern), 2 tracks on side a, 5 tracks on side b
Disk in a single “GLASS BASE DISK” paper-covered envelope.
[a] Harrison: Simfony (5th)
16″ PRESTO NY 33 1/3 RPM.
center –> edge (recording pattern), 3 Tracks
[b] Johanna M. Beyer: 1. Restless, 2. Endless, 3. Tactless
16″ PRESTO NY 33 1/3 RPM.
center –> edge (recording pattern), 3 Track
Disk in Soundcraft paper-covered envelope.
[a] Cage: 3rd Construction [1944, date not on label, this recording likely from Chicago?]
16″ AUDIODISK 8023, 33 1/3 RPM.
center –> edge (recording pattern), 1 Track
[b] IV Double Music [1941]
Cage & Harrison Quartet “V Quartet” on label.
center –> edge (recording pattern), 2 Tracks
Disk in a single “GLASS BASE DISK” paper-covered envelope.
[a] William Russell: Three Dance Movements
16″ NORTHERN RADIO COMPANY 33 1/3 RPM (PRESO NY)
center –> edge (recording pattern), 3 Tracks
Disk label has: Waltz, March, and Foxtrot
[b] Henry Cowell: Pulse
16″ NORTHERN RADIO COMPANY 33 1/3 RPM (PRESO NY)
center –> edge (recording pattern), 3 Tracks
Disk label has: date of Dec 8, 1939
Disk in a single plain-covered envelope.
[a] John Cage: Trio (Allegro, March, Waltz) [1936, this is likely Trio Suite]
William Russell: Cuban Studies (Habanere, Rumba-Son)
Lou Harrison: Counterdance
16″ PRESTO NY 33 1/3 RPM
center –> edge (recording pattern ?), 5 Tracks
[b] Henry Cowell: Pulse [6 perc, 1939]
William Russell: March Suite, School, Wedding, Military Anger, Funeral
(note: a label phrase says “3rd not good”
center –> edge (recording pattern ?), 3 Tracks
From 1942:
Disk in a plain-cover envelope, paper disk-label covers brand of disk. (The center of the disk has three holes, triangular, which was a non-slipping standard for audio re-broadcast disks.)
John Cage & Kenneth Patchen: The City Wears a Slouch Hat [1943]
The is evidently an original copy of the Columbia Workshop broadcast, recorded May 31, 1942 in Chicago.
edge –> center (recording pattern), 1 track on each side, “START OUTSIDE”
Here is the original document that Gordon Mumma typed up to describe these recordings:
CageDisks#2.doc
Below are items related to Gordon Mumma’s CageDisks#2.doc file:
- The introductory text.
- The tabs, which are organized by disk and Cage’s “number-icons” or indexes in the order that they appear on the document created by Gordon, contain text about each disk and the recordings as obtained from the Stanford Archive of Recorded Sound.
- The original document that Gordon provided.
John Cage EARLY RECORDINGS CageDisks#1.doc 00/08/07 This copy for LETA MILLER Gordon Mumma: Information on the nine 16" diameter (radio format) 33 1/3 rpm recordings made by John Cage in the eastern United States from the late 1944s to the early 1950s. These nine 16" disks were certainly recorded at 33 1/3 rpm, but the needle-size may vary (there were several standards) and were recorded in the edge -> center format (meaning that the disks were engraved from the center to the outside). This format (edge -> center), was developed circa 1940s, and its use overlapped the inverse format into the late 1940s. Other 16" recordings exist, before 1942 (catalogued in CageDisk#1.doc). N.B! Dates and information in square brackets in these notes are not on the recordings. The "H nnn" annotations, preceding two of the recordings, refer to Cage's numer-icons (indexes).
Christian Wolff: For piano I & For piano II [no recording date, after 1950]
16″ dia Presto 3210 disk, recorded outside-›in [possibly David Tudor, pianist]
[edge->center (recording pattern)]
Side A, 4 tracks, foil bubbled on this side.
Side B, 5 tracks (with red lines and arrows covering the outer four tracks).
Labels off from disk, retaped by GM to the paper cover.
Side A label:
33 1/3 R.P.M standard needle
For piano II – Wolff (4 mvts.)
Side B label:
33 1/3 R.P.M standard needle
For piano I – Wolff (untitled solo), last band
Cover paper envelope: audiodiscs, AUDIO DEVICES, Inc.
444 Madison Avenue, New York 22, N.Y.
John Cage: Sixteen Dances [1951, two 16″ disks ]
33.3 rpm, groove: Standard SOUND Recordings Service
[no recording date, after 1950]
215 east 12th street
New York 3, N.Y. Oregon 3-1573
Order no. 53-140, record no. 5352T16
[edge->center (recording pattern)]
1a, 1 Track. Label: John Cage: Sixteen Dances, Dances 1 thru 4.
1b, 1 Track, Label: John Cage: Sixteen Dances, Dances 5 thru 8. This record on photo with IV disk
2a, 1 Track, label John Cage: Sixteen Dances, Dances 9 thru 12.
2b, 1 Track, label: John Cage: Sixteen Dances, Dances 13 thru 16.
H 028 label:
MUSIC OF JOHN CAGE, WNYC..LINE (rec.date: Feb. 18, 1945)
WCR Reference Recording, date recorded 2/18/45, serial # 7-0614,
“lateral 33 1/3-start outside” [edge->center (recording pattern)]
Comments: one side only (in good condition) , Deteriorated paper cover has these notes:
MARY HOWARD RECORDINGS, 37 East 49″ Street, New York 17. N.Y.
And the following handwritten titles:
Messenger [possibly Meditation, or Tossed as it is Untroubled, 1943 ?]
Root [of an Unfocus, 1944]
Vahakn [from Haiqu, 1952 ?]
Memory
Idyllic Song [from Five Songs, 1938 ?]
Totem [Totem Ancestor 1943 ?]
John Cage: DANCES, No. 1, 2, & 3 (record label date: February 7, 1947)
MARY HOWARD RECORDINGS, 37 East 49* Street, New York 17. N.Y.
“lateral 33 1/3-start outside” Three Dances [1945, 2 prep. pf.]
la, 1 Track: Dances No. 1 & No. 2
1b, 2 Tracks: Dance Three
NB! The labels may be reversed on this disk.
John Cage: The Seasons [1947] (record label date: March 3, 1947)
Label: Mary Howard Recordings, 37 East 40* St. 17, New York
“origin: studio, start outside”
1a, 4 Tracks, Label: John Cage: The Seasons, part I
1b, 3 Tracks (?), Label: John Cage: The Seasons, part 2
No composer name, A DIVERSION [?], DREAM [pf, 1948],
(record label date: Oct. 13, 1949)
& Satie: MONKEY DANCES FROM Le Piege
MARY HOWARD RECORDINGS, 37 East 49 Street, New York 17. N.Y.
“lateral 33 1/3-start outside” (with phone # Plaza 3-4800 – Ext. 47)
1a, 3 Tracks, A DIVERSION, DREAM
1b, 7 Tracks (all short)
No composer names (the 2 Tracks likely Cage):
la. OPEN ROAD [possibly “Ophelia” ?] 2. MYSTERIOUS ADVENTY [prep.pf…,1945],
3. SATIE [?]
3 Tracks, “lateral 33 1/3-start outside”
1b. BEN WEBER [the composer, David Tudor likely the pianist?]
1 Track, “lateral 33 1/3- start outside”
paper cover envelop has the logo:
“Sounderaft, instantaneous Recording Disks, Full-Spectrum”
H 025
John Cage: A BOOK OF MUSIC FOR TWO PIANOS [1944]
Arthur Gold and Robert Fizdale (pianists)
MARY HOWARD RECORDINGS, 37 East 49* Street, New York 17. N.Y
“lateral 33 1/3- start outside” (with phone # Plaza 3-4800 – Ext. 47)
la, 1 Track (Part 1)
1b, 1 Track (Part II)
Good condition, this recording has been commercially issued on later recording formats.
Here is the original document that Gordon Mumma typed up to describe these recordings:
