Re: The Sound Of Silence

["escalation746" escalation746]

Philip Tyler wrote:

> I thought it was 4' 33" and was composed for
> any instrument except it was not actually ever
> played.

You are correct: it is three movements for any instrument. David Tudor
performed it for the first time on piano, so it has since been
associated with that instrument.

> I could think of a many things I would rather
> do in 4' 33" myself :-))

There are few better uses of the time. The realisation that silence
does not exist is perhaps the single most important revelation for any
contemporary composer, sound artist or sound engineer. Cage's making
explicit the "frame" around a performance is a decisive moment in the
history of not only music, but any performance art.

The piece is utter brilliance and I would have loved to hear Tudor's
rendition.

-- robin