Scholarly discussion of the music of John Cage.

[Margaret Leng Tan <>]

Title: Re: silence Digest Sun, 24 Nov 2024 (1/1)

Tim Ovens, I can help you with this as In the Name of the Holocaust is one of the staples of my repertoire.
In fact Cage wrote a dedication on my score: “For Margaret Leng Tan whose piece this has become.”

This is the only piece that Cage wrote for the prepared piano which is also a string piano piece.

In the middle register each note has 3 strings.
The preparation for D,E,F,G,A: I use bolts which are inserted between the 2nd and 3rd strings of each note, leaving the bottom string open. I insert the bolts at the midpoint of each string at the octave harmonic. The bolts will form a straight line. And the pizzes will convey a coherent melody.

The right hand does the plucking. The left hand depresses the notes to be plucked disengaging the strings from the damper felts which are therefore free to resonate. This is essentially what the right pedal does. Holding the keys down manually is a form of “finger pedaling.”

At the beginning pluck the prepared muted top string of each note. 

Later on Cage indicates with the letter M, to pluck the top string which is prepared and therefore muted.
He indicates with the letter O for open string, to pluck the lowest of the 3 strings which is unprepared. 

There is a distinct difference in timbre between the pizz of a prepared (muted) string and the pizz of an open string. The prepared string pizzes at the opening are eerie and haunting. Open string pizzes are louder and direct sounding.

I hope this helps. Glad to answer any further questions. You can listen to the piece on Spotify on my album, Daughters of the Lonesome Isle, New Albion, NA 070.
Margaret Leng Tan

 
on 11/24/24, 11:00 PM,  at  wrote:

> silence digest Sun, 24 Nov 2024
> 
> Table of contents:
> 
> * 1 - [silence] Pizz. in "In the Name of the Holocaust" - Tim Ovens
>   <>
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> 
> Message-ID: <">>
> Date: Fri, 22 Nov 2024 10:47:52 +0100
> From: Tim Ovens <>
> Subject: [silence] Pizz. in "In the Name of the Holocaust"
> 
> 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
> 
> 
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> End of silence Digest Sun, 24 Nov 2024
>