He published silence in 1961, which included lectures and writings from the period 19391958. The i ching was applied to large charts of sounds, durations, dynamics, tempo and. This is a talk about something and naturally also a talk about nothing. Todays essay is a followup to lecture on nothing, appropriately titled lecture on something, delivered to the artists club sometime in 1950. Feb 26, 20 though its origins go back more than a decade earlier to a talk he gave in new york, john cage s lecture on nothing was included in his first and most important collection of writings, silence, in. John cage 19121992 defined a radical practice of composition that changed the course of modern music and shaped a new conceptual horizon for postwar art. For an excellent disscusion of the concerto for prepared piano and. Boulez had given cage the autograph, along with his sketches for the sonata, in appreciation of cages efforts on his behalf in.
They establish sight as the primary human sense and introduce the idea that looking is the medium. Aug 18, 20 in darling boy beautiful boy john lennon sang life is what happens to you while youre busy making other plans. For better or worse, the first piece that comes to forefront of any conversation regarding john cage is 433. These are the first two sentences of john bergers ways of seeing.
But first some lines today from a john ashberys poem, hotel lautreamont. The line quoted above, i have nothing to say and i am saying it and that is poetry as i need it, summarily defines the fundamental tenetsand contradictionsof cages aesthetic. The form, the morphology of the con tinuity, is unpredictable. There is no such thing as an empty space or an empty time. T hough its origins go back more than a decade earlier to a talk he gave in new york, john cage s lecture on nothing was included in his first and most important collection of writings, silence, in 1961. Sep 08, 2012 lecture on the weather 1976, by john cage excerpt a political statement relevent today. Modern music sevenths, always, all, fascinated me the seconds, with all its modern intervals. With an audience of 20 spectators, goldsmith read for over 50 minutes the text composed by aphorisms, silences and a fragmentation of the temporary structures that lead us to reflect on the. The child looks and recognizes before it can speak. The visualization of john cages lecture on nothing youtube. Lecture on nothing is perhaps, next to the future of music. In darling boy beautiful boy john lennon sang life is what happens to you while youre busy making other plans.
The content of the composition is not four minutes and 33 seconds of. The text is in four parts, becoming more and more fragmented as it proceeds. Cages 1959 lecture on nothingremains a touchstone for artists thinking about how to empty their work of themselves. Robert wilson is one of the most significant representatives of the theatrical avantgarde, whose landmark einstein on the beach was recreated at the barbican in 2012. The process of composition involved applying decisions made using the i ching, a chinese classic text that is commonly used as a divination system. John cage s concerto for prepared piano and chamber orchestra 195051 holds a unique position within the composer s oeuvre as the first work based in part on chancederived compositional procedures.
Lectures and writings by john cage middletown, ct wesleyan university press,1973, 109. These are extracts from the 50th anniversary edition of silence. Yudkin 245253 14 tuesday, december 12 experimentation and virtuosity read before class. Famous for his use of chance and silence in musical works, a pioneer in electronic music and the. Though its origins go back more than a decade earlier to a talk he gave in new york, john cages lecture on nothing was included in his first and most important collection of. Kenneth goldsmith performing john cages lecture on nothing. The audience, generally prepared for what will follow, namely nothing, may sometimes wonder what could be printed on those pages. John cages lecture on nothing the barbican, london 2502. Find john cage composition information on allmusic. Butone thing is which is to be nothing and be patient with he calls attentionto the whereas it was hecalls attention to something love otherwise or 11j is itinteresting nothing is anonymous ofhandling materials on therationa11evel ofexperiencing material. The sense of disorientation yielded by this experience is probably the best possible introduction to cages lecture on nothing, recited as part of the barbican theatres dancing for duchamp series.
Lectures and writings is a book by american experimental composer john cage 19121992, first published in 1961 by wesleyan university press. Lecture on the weather 1976, by john cage excerpt a political statement relevent today. Cage famously delivered the lecture to the 8 th street artists club, or the club, as i mentioned briefly last week. John cage, lecture on nothing er, lecture on something er, indeterminacy jackson mac low stanzas for iris er. It was printed in the brochure accompanying george avakians recording ot my twenty. John cage is the outstanding composer of avantgarde.
The lost origins of the essay the making of the american essay the next american essay. When the great avantgardist john cage died, just short of his eightieth birthday in 1992, he was already the subject of dozens of interviews, memoirs, and discussions of his contribution to music, music theory, and performance practice. As cage explains in the essay, the topicsomethingis ostensibly morton feldman, but as he admits, by the end it is about. In most of the performances of john cages famously silent composition 433, the performer sits in front of what appears to be sheet music as in the performance below. Sep 27, 20 the original version of john cages 433 in proportional notation will go on display at the museum of modern art as part of there will never be silence. In the fore word to this book john cage explains how in writing those two fundamen. This detailed literature summary also contains topics for discussion and a free quiz on silence. Silence is a collection of essays and lectures cage wrote during the period from 1939 to 1961. I have nothing to say and i am saying it and that is poetry as i need it john cage lecture on nothing, silence, 109.
September 5, 1912 august 12, 1992 was an american composer, music theorist, artist, and philosopher. John cage silence lectures and writings, 50th anniversary edition world of digitals skip to content. John cage silence lectures and writings, 50th anniversary. So it was that i gave about 1949 my lecture on nothing at the artists club on. John cage and the visual aspects of musical performance in water walk, the traditional elements of musicthings like rhythm, meter, melody, harmonyare virtually absent. Cage s lecture reflects the medial rupture as it happens not only on different levels but also, as will be shown, in different modes.
The entire piece is divided into five parts, comprised of 7, 6, 14, 14, 7 units. For an excellent disscusion of the concerto for prepared piano and orchestra see james pritchett, the music of john cage. A pioneer of chance music, electronic music and nonstandard use of musical instruments, cage was one of the leading figures of the postwar avantgarde. The curious score for john cages silent zen composition.
The rhetoric of the classical music tradition is often preoccupied with musics ability to move the listener to tears. Drawing from the philosophical framework provided by. Cage entered into such practice gradually, incrementally abandoning subjective taste and personal expression through the course of the work. Sep 06, 2012 the richard kostelanetz books john cage explained, or conversing with cage, or cage s own a year from monday are highly entertaining, funny, and super thoughtprovoking. It has just reappeared in a 50th anniversary edition of cages classic first book, silence. John cage has been lauded as one of the most influential american composers of the 20th century. The original version of john cages 433 in proportional notation will go on display at the museum of modern art as part of there will never be silence. He is perhaps best known for his 1952 composition 4. When silence was published, i gave a copy to david tudor. Though we might now associate john cage with the world of art musicas cage himself would have at the timewater walk is a far cry from typical highcultural performances.
Final discussion blog post december 1420 final exam exact date tba. Composed in 1951 for pianist and friend david tudor, it is a groundbreaking piece of indeterminate music. The curious score for john cages silent zen composition 4. In a visually and acoustically inspiring homage to revolutionary composer and philosopher john cage, american theater luminary robert wilson performs lecture on nothing, one of the central texts of 20thcentury experimental literature originally delivered in 1949 by the composer himself at an artists club in. The work is a neat summarisation of the composers philosophy of music, as well as an application of his musical structures to a piece of prose. But cage never thought of himself as only or even primarily a composer. Music of changes is a piece for solo piano by john cage. About how something and nothing are not opposed to each other but need each other to keep on going. Included in silence, john cages most relevant collection of writing, lecture on nothing is in many ways an essayistic response to the thinking behind his music. In a visually and acoustically inspiring homage to revolutionary composer and philosopher john cage, american theater luminary robert wilson performs lecture on nothing, one of the central texts of 20thcentury experimental literature. The text in john cage s lecture on nothing is composed of four measures per line and twelve lines per unit. Oct 19, 20 the text in john cages lecture on nothing is composed of four measures per line and twelve lines per unit. John cage and robert wilson center for the art of performance.
An extended trajectory of cage literature, from early critical reaction to writing by contemporaries to current scholarship. The visualization of john cages lecture on nothing on vimeo. As a homage to revolutionary composer john cage, robert wilson performs cages lecture on nothing, one of the central texts of twentiethcentury experimental literature robert wilson is one of the most significant representatives of the theatrical avantgarde, whose landmark einstein on the beach was recreated at the barbican in 2012. There is nothing more to be said or to be done tonight, so hand me over my violin and let us try to forget for half an hour the miserable weather and the still more miserable ways of our fellowmen. Kenneth goldsmith usa, 1961, poet and founder of ubuweb, performed at labor john cage s 19121992 lecture on nothing 1961. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and nonstandard use of musical instruments, cage was one of the leading figures of the postwar avantgarde. Silence john cage published by wesleyan university press john cage. American composer john cage, among historys most influential artistic innovators, strove to broaden the definition of music and introduced chance operations into the compositional process. The visualization of john cages lecture on nothing. Premiered on august 22, 2012 at the ruhrtriennale festival, jahrhunderthalle, bochum, germany. Lecture on nothing i am here those who wish to get any moment silence is and there is nothing to say ifamong you are somewhere let them leave at what we require but what requires. Using aesthetic theory to understand a musical notion, journal of aesthetic education 26 spring 1992 pp. John cage 1912 1992 was an american composer, music theorist, writer, philosopher and provocative artist. As a homage to revolutionary composer john cage, robert wilson performs cage s lecture on nothing, one of the central texts of twentiethcentury experimental literature.
That cage should call such a composition music is likely what made the piece appealing to a program like ive got a secret. The richard kostelanetz books john cage explained, or conversing with cage, or cages own a year from monday are highly entertaining. John cage lecture on nothing 481 g 1955 g leonard michaels in the fifties 501 g 1959 g lillian ross the yellow bus 509 g 1963 g norman. Lecture on nothing, john cage lecture on nothing is perhaps, next to the future of music. When john cage returned from his sixmonth visit to europe with merce cunningham in the fall of 1949 he brought back with him the autograph manuscript of the second piano sonata of his new friend pierre boulez. With its litany of zenlike aphorisms and observations, and increasingly obsessive repetitions. Experimental music john cage the following statement was given as an address to the convention ot the music teachers national association in chicago in the winter ot 1957. Oct 11, 2014 i have nothing to say and i am saying it and that is poetry as i need it john cage lecture on nothing, silence, 109. Established in 1948, the club was really nothing much, just a rented space where artists living in greenwich village met once a week for a discussion on art. Kenneth goldsmith usa, 1961, poet and founder of ubuweb, performed at labor john cages 19121992 lecture on nothing 1961. This collection of essays and presentations by noted composer and musical innovator john cage attempts to capture on paper both the intellectual and stylistic creativity with which he approached his work. As a homage to revolutionary composer john cage, robert wilson performs cages lecture on nothing, one of the central texts of twentiethcentury experimental literature.
Blog response essay 3pp december 12 read before the final exam. Whats in mind is to stay up all night reading this is john cages suggestion for his work empty words 19731974, a chancemade rearranging of passages from the journals of henry david thoreau. Mar 10, 20 included in silence, john cages most relevant collection of writing, lecture on nothing is in many ways an essayistic response to the thinking behind his music. John cage has 91 books on goodreads with 18225 ratings. Comprising of repetition, selfreferential musings on its own structure, comments on american geography, as well as scattered observations on music including connections between brahms and thirds, and the general popularity. After looking it over, he said, too bad the j miliard lecture isnt in it. Comprising of repetition, selfreferential musings on its own structure, comments on american geography, as well as scattered observations on music including connections between brahms and thirds, and the general popularity of. I have nothing to say and i am saying it and that is poetry as i needed it john cage it was at harvard not quite forty years ago that i went into an anechoic totally silent chamber not expecting in that silent room to hear two sounds. The 5th, 6th and 7th parts are the reverse of parts 1, 2 and 3.
In 1949, john cage received an award of one thousand dollars from the national academy of arts and letters, and wrote his lecture on nothing and lecture on something, both reprinted in silence 1961. John cage lecture on nothing 481 g 1955 g leonard michaels in the fifties 501 g 1959 g lillian ross the yellow bus 509 g 1963 g norman mailer ten thousand words a minute 529. The text in john cages lecture on nothing is composed of four measures per line and twelve lines per unit. Lecture on the weather 1976, by john cage excerpt youtube. A poem is a small or large machine made out of words.