Scholarly discussion of the music of John Cage.

[Stefano Pocci <>]

On 04/04/2011 03:23 PM, 

 wrote:
> I am a final year honours student currently writing my dissertation on the
> transition of Cage's style between the "Construction","Imaginary Landscape" 
> and
> "Variation" series.
>
> I have come across "Imaginary Landscape No. 5" and am struggling to identify
> the 5x5 structure within the piece. I am also wondering why Cage has opted for
> a 5x5 structure in particular and if this is indeed related to his use of the
> iChing?
>
> Can anyone enlighten me?
>
> Rachel Gillespie




Hi there, I'm sure there are scholars on the list who may throughly (and 
correctly) respond to your appeal Rachel but the first thing I came up 
with your question (5x5 structure and i-Ching) is a mathematical "magic 
square" which I'm pretty sure Cage exploited before engaging with the 
chinese book of oracles.

The 5x5 structure also reminds me of his earlier Chess Piece, a 
chessboard-shaped score (8x8=64, here is the i-Ching again by the way) 
you can see here:

http://www.artnet.com/magazineus/reviews/davis/davis11-1-05_detail.asp?picnum=2

I guess Cage was surely thinking of the i-Ching when he devised the 5x5 
structure for Imaginary Landscape n.5. Hope this helps somehow

--

Stefano

"I have nothing to say and I'm saying it,
 and that is poetry as I need it" - John Cage