A composition for one to twelve pianists, Ants generated chance procedures through a photograph of ants that were then transposed into a series of novel notations that mirror Benjamin Patterson’s circle notations in String Music (1960). Notwithstanding the unique way Patterson used insects to derive material, the score itself is one of his more straightforward; as with David Tudor’s realization sheets, each page covers thirty seconds, leading to a performance of exactly six minutes if all twelve sheets are played. As was also the case with Tudor’s realization, the pages themselves can be freely resequenced.
© The Estate of Benjamin Patterson.
