[4] It was premiered shortly after by John Cage, William Masselos, Grete Sultan and David Tudor, in the Carl Fischer Concert Hall, 165 West 57th Street, New York City.

[5][6] Its duration may vary widely, since Feldman specifies in the score that all beats are meant to be played slowly but not necessarily simultaneously—that is, each performer has its own internal speed, which may be different from the rest.

[8] Feldman attempted to remove what he believe to be a supposed virtue of traditional ensemble playing, stating that "It works better if [the players] don't listen [to each other].

"[9] He then stated that the result should be "like a series of reverberations from an identical sound source" and that "the beginning of the piece is like a recognition, not a motif, and by virtue of the repetitions it conditions one to listen.

"[1] Maurice Hinson wrote that "it is possible that Feldman's work was designed to reattract audiences largely put off by an extreme mathematical approach to music", and the piece contains "delicate textures and sonorities".