Scholarly discussion of the music of John Cage.

[Tim Ovens <>]

Hi all!

I just work with my students on the prepared piano for a concert with 
several of these pieces. Here the question came about the remarks in "In 
the Name of the Holocaust". For the pizz. Cage makes the difference 
between muted strings and open strings. I ever thought, that he means 
playing the pizz. on the prepared strings (muted) or on the open 
unprepared string. I know, that normally in other pieces he really wants 
the strings to become muted, but here it makes no sense for me, 
especially because on several places we have to hold a chord, played on 
the keyboard, and then pizzing the "muted" strings. But if I really 
would mute them, my chord becomes damped too.

Is there any opinion or any clear advice from Cage?

Thanks
Tim