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Re: Cage 100

Subject: Re: Cage 100
From: "Robin" robin_parmar_sound
Date: Sun Sep 9, 2012 1:39 pm ((PDT))
Bernie Krause wrote:

> That Cage labeled field recordings as "found art," only serves to  
> spotlight his rather narrow perspective from the high-end academic mid- 
> and late 20th century rarified milieu he lived in.

Indeed. One must remember that his pieces were composed, even if using chance 
methods. And his pieces had scores, even if these were simple instructions in 
the mode of a Zen parable. Even 4'33" is a chamber piece with score, movements, 
a concert hall, and all the other conventional trappings of Western European 
art music. In fact, it would have failed utterly otherwise. One cannot remove 
the frame and point outside the frame in the same gesture.

However, I must point out that the Cage quote that started this discussion is 
being misinterpreted by most if not all respondents. The opinion that "all true 
artists know that germane to their respective crafts is transformation" was 
given in response to a declaration about "purists" who "assert that they don't 
edit". Thus Cage's dismissal does not apply to those nature recordists who do 
not deny the transformations they bring to bear on the sounds they record.

Based on this quote at least, Cage is not dissing nature recordists but only 
those naive nature recordists who see no art in what they are doing. I would 
agree.

-- Robin Parmar










"While a picture is worth a thousand words, a 
sound is worth a thousand pictures." R. Murray Schafer via Bernie Krause.



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