Four (Live)

As part of the opening night of Four (Exhibition), there were performances of the composition for violin, viola, cello & double bass. Influenced by John Cage’s piece of the same name (1989), each part is written to be played at the player’s own pace, without the need for counting rests in between bars. The players were instructed to play quietly and without vibrato, but otherwise they were free to interpret the score, meaning that the piece is different each time it is performed. To add to the unpredictable nature of the dissonant harmonies, a pure tone version of the piece, Four (Concrète), was played simultaneously in 4.0 surround sound through four speakers in the floor of the gallery.