La Monte Young | Composition 1960, #5

"Composition 1960, #5 reads:

Turn a butterfly (or any number of butterflies) loose in the performance area. When the composition is

over, be sure to allow the butterfly to fly away outside. The composition may be any length, but if an unlimited amount of time is available, the doors and windows may be opened before the butterfly is turned loose and the composition may be considered finished when the butterfly flies away.

When I sent copies of Compositions 1960, Numbers 2 Through 5 to some of my friends, I received different comments from all of them concerning which ones they liked or disliked with one exception. Almost all of them wrote back to me saying ‘they liked Number 5 which consists, quite simply of turning a butterfly or any number of butterflies loose in the auditorium. Diane agreed that it was a very lovely piece and said it would seem almost impossible for anyone not to like it. At any rate, I had hoped to perform either Composition 1960 #2 which consists of building a fire in front of the audience, or Composition 1960 #5, the butterfly piece, on whatever program came up next. Thus, when the time arrived to do another noon concert of contemporary music at the University in Berkeley, I told a friend who was communicating with the director of the noon concerts that I would like t o do either Composition 1960 #2 or #5. The next day he phoned and said he had asked the director. The director had said that both pieces were absolutely out of the question. I was shocked. I could easily understand anyone's concern for a fire in the auditorium, but what could be wrong with a butterfly? Well, Compositions 1960 Numbers 2 and 5 were banned from the auditorium and we performed Composition 1960 #4 instead. Sometime afterward Diane received a letter from Susan, who was visiting in New York. At the end of the letter she wrote, "I

saw a boy in the park today running, quite terrified, from a small yellow butterfly.”

- La Monte Young