HW 8.2 - John Cage

I first heard about John Cage when I was in college, and a friend and music student gave an incredible musical performance on a prepared piano and then told me about prepared pianos (pianos which have been altered with found objects to change their sounds) and John Cage. Sometime later, in another class, someone mentioned John Cage's piece 4'33" (4 minutes and 33 seconds) (1952). As soon as I heard about this piece, it blew up what music could be, how I could interact with sound, and I was intrigued, impressed, and I never forgot it. In this piece, the performers, of any instrument, are not to play any sounds for the duration of the piece. The sounds of the piece are then the ambient sounds of the room, the sounds of the audience, or potentially, silence. This piece is rooted in philosophy and theory, and also the relationship with the audience. This artwork, this piece of music, challenged what was considered music, and the audience's place in a performance and the creation of a work of art. This work is smart, challenging, and I happen to think, funny as well. I feel like it has had similar reactions and legacies to Marcel Duchamp's Fountain (1917). I found it so interesting that Cage mentions Duchamp in his interview on silence (below). 4'33" also transcended the confines of high art to become part of popular culture, often in the form of a joke. I love these moments where innovative and challenging works can move into different spheres, and this happens most insidiously when there is some humour or a punchline - the work can be referenced more frequently, and can find itself referred to in more places.

Here is a performance of the piece:

4'33"

John Cage on silence

Duchamp Fountain