1952
graphite
paper
From the collection of Museum of Modern Art
Untitled is a 1952 graphite by John Cage, held at Museum of Modern Art.
This is a handwritten sheet of paper with black ink. The words say *"A Valentine Out of Season"* at the top, followed by smaller text: *"Music for Xenia to play on a prepared grand piano."* At the bottom, the name *"John Cage"* is signed, along with *"NYC - 1944."* The paper looks old and slightly torn, with a copyright note from 1960. The phrase *"prepared piano"* hints at Cage’s unusual way of altering pianos to create new sounds. This wasn’t just sheet music—it was an instruction for how to play it differently. Want to hear what a prepared piano sounds like? Look up John Cage.
John Milton Cage Jr. was an American composer, artist, and music theorist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading figures of…
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