I wasn't referring to Cage's "4'33", Lindsay. I was referring to his
comment made at a lecture in NYC at the 92nd St Y where he was
speaking specifically about the importance of silence in a musical
composition. I don't remember his exact quote but it was something
along the lines that I mentioned earlier.
Bernie
On Jan 5, 2009, at 1:21 PM, Lindsay Cargill wrote:
> --- In Bernie Krause <>
> wrote:
> >
> > John Cage once observed that the most important element in music was
> > periods of silence.
> >
> > Bernie
>
> Cage's 3'22" to which you may be referring is not 'silence' per se,
> though I accept it would probably contain some periods of silence. The
> piece begins and ends with the performer opening and closing the piano
> lid, which makes a noise. In between, the noise of the audience in the
> auditorium (coughing, breathing, shuffling programme notes, talking
> etc !)and that made by the performer is the actual 'piece'.
>
> I am reminded of a funny scenerio as a Batchelors music student when a
> friend of mine had to give a talk on Cage's 3'22". He was so diligent
> that he wanted to use audio musical examples and even went to great
> lengths to purchase an expensive import of a Cage CD containing the
> piece from Tower Records. We all thought he was nuts - why not just
> record 3'22" of 'air' in the Uni sudio ? But to our surprise the
> performance of 3'22" on his CD was anything but silent and indeed
> was a
> unique performance in its own right, just as Cage intended.
>
> I have always thought of the silence, or near silence (!) at the
> beginning and end of a piece of music as the very structures
> that 'frame' the art. This would also seem to apply to bird song.
>
> Lindsay
>
>
>
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