Scholarly discussion of the music of John Cage.

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From all of my visits there, never. If I recall, there was a computer (eventually maybe 2?), but I never saw many. No synths. And no tape recorders -- in fact Cage bought a portable cassette deck (the kind with piano key activation) because he received so many tapes from composers and artists which he felt compelled to listen to, as a courtesy. I don't recall a lot of ugly wiring either, the apartment was always neat.

It is possible that Perloff visited at time when equipment may have been brought in for a specific project or task. But I doubt if Cage would have tinkered with a synthesizer.

I haven't read the article yet, but what is worth mentioning is the huge "garden" in the loft, full of plants, trees and greenery which was very special. And the incredible kitchen area where Cage prepared many delicious meals (he enjoyed cooking).

Brian Brandt
mode records


On 11/23/10 6:31 AM, Daniel Wolf wrote:

Marjorie Perloff has an article online, "Constructed Anarchy", here: http://www.lanaturnerjournal.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=52:perloffconstructedanarchy&catid=37:issue34&Itemid=54
While the topic is close to my own interests, I'd like to hold off on comment until I've digested it better.  In the meantime, however, there is one sentence that strikes me as odd. Perloff writes about the Cage/Cunningham apartment that:

"This “living area” was complemented by two others:  one, a kind of technology center, was full of synthesizers, tape recorders, and computer equipment, with much ugly wiring:  here Cage worked out his now electronically chance-generated compositions."


Is this description accurate?  The computers were there for sure, but synthesizers and tape recorders?  Could anyone on this list verify this?

Daniel Wolf