Scholarly discussion of the music of John Cage.

[Sara Heimbecker <>]

I'm sorry that I am so late responding to this, but it caught my attention.
I too am glad that young people are not trashing Cage, as Louis wrote.  But
I am sorry that much of the controversy is gone.  Cage has become canonical,
and with that acceptance comes a little too much reverence and a little
complacency.

We can look back on the original audience for Beethoven's "Eroica" and feel
superior because we no longer find the piece too long, or too strange.  We
find it beautiful and sublime.  Unfortunately, we miss the intense,
revolutionary, (perhaps frightening!) effect the piece likely had, and
that's too bad. I think the same has happened to Cage performances as well.

I'm always thrilled to find those who are outraged by Cage because it means
that Cage's mission is still relevant.

Best wishes everyone,

Sara Heimbecker



On 11/8/10 5:28 AM, "Louis Cohen" 
<>
 wrote:

> I was a student of Cage's in 1958 and lived through the frustrating
> years when he and his followers (including me) got publicly and
> privately trashed frequently. This article (the part quoted in these
> messages) is certainly not original; it's just a rehash of what some
> people have been saying for years.
> 
> There will always be people who can't tolerate the way in which Cage
> extended boundaries. I found it was a lot easier to go my way by just
> ignoring these comments.
> 
> The good news is the extent to which the use of noise and
> indeterminacy have been accepted by young musicians everywhere. I
> perform with these youngsters all the time. It's exhilarating,  and no
> one trashes Cage.
> 
> -Lou Cohen
> 
> 
> On Nov 7, 2010, at 11:04 PM, 
> 
>  wrote:
> 
>> The author also rehashes the myth of Cage having no ear for harmony
>> (queue Schoenberg, who "at least kind of knew how to compose properly"
>> and using the famous "brick wall quotation").
>