Scholarly discussion of the music of John Cage.

[Anton Vishio <>]

Hello, all - 

Craig Pepples informed me recently that the Chord Catalog, representing the result of research that John Cage and Paul Zukofsky took on together in the creation of the Freeman Etudes, was posted at the Musical Observations website.

Paul's introduction to the project, essential for making sense of the catalog:

http://www.musicalobservations.com/publications/chord-catalog-john-cage-paul-zukofsky/index.html

and the catalog itself, in the form of cards of various kinds and colors within folders:

http://www.musicalobservations.com/publications/chord-catalog-john-cage-paul-zukofsky/catalog/cage-cards.html

I think I first read about this in an article Paul published the year Cage died, "Aspects of Contemporary Violin Technique," which is also in the collection of his writings on the Musical Observations website; when I asked Paul about the state of the catalog about a decade later, his somewhat grouchy response made it clear a print version would not be forthcoming.  I imagine the best form for this material might well have been something like Cunningham's Lifeforms: in the article, Paul talked about how the catalog "could serve as the basis for a mapping of left arm-hand-finger configurations in three-dimensional space"; and at the end of his introduction, he mentions that "just because one can momentarily approximate a pretzel does not mean one can then instantaneously metamorphose from pretzel to Botticelli's Venus".  

You can also now listen to Paul's recording of Freeman Etudes I-VIII at 

https://musicalobservations.bandcamp.com/album/john-cage-chorals-cheap-imitation-freeman-etudes-i-viii

with best wishes,

Anton Vishio