Scholarly discussion of the music of John Cage.

[Tim Ovens <>]

    Dear Margaret!
    
    Yes, they will play the whole piece. I communicate the link to your
    intensive performance! Thanks again.
    
    Our program is:

- Daughters of the Lonesome Isle
- The Perilous Night
- Mysterious Adventure (performed with dance!)
- And the Earth Shall Bear Again
- Primitive
- Bacchanale
- In the Name of the Holocaust

We have three grand pianos and one brake to change the preparations.

    So, if anyone here is in Viena in January, here comes an invitation
    to the concert:
    "Klaenge & Schrauben - Das (wohl)praeparierte Klavier des
      John Cage"
    (Sounds & Screws - The (well)prepared piano of John Cage’)
    Monday, 20 January 2025, 7 pm
    University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna
    Alter Konzertsaal
    Rennweg 8, 1030 Vienna
    
    All best,
    Tim

Am 27.11.24 um 10:10 schrieb Margaret Leng Tan:

      Re: [silence] silence Digest Sun, 24 Nov 2024 (1/1)
      
          I am glad you found it helpful, Tim.
          
          Are you also working with your students on the 2nd half of In
            the Name of the Holocaust?
          Here is my performance on YouTube posted by someone from
          Japan. It is from the documentary on John Cage called “I have
          Nothing to Say and I am Saying It” on the PBS American Masters
          series. 
          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q865x7K_QP4
          
          All best,
          Margaret
          
          on 11/27/24, 2:36 AM, Tim Ovens at 
          wrote:
          
        
>    Dear Margaret Leng Tan!
>              
>              Thank you so much for your highly interesting, very
>             helpful, and very detailed informations. I just listened to
>             your so atmospheric recording. Thanks! I am glad to give
>             these informations to my students.
>              
>              All the best!
>              Tim
>              
>              (if you are interested, I return a link to my album on
>             Spotify with recordings of the prepared piano music: https://open.spotify.com/album/3lXZIEEgppd6M7nupZOWwD?si=CKCaO8yhST2CSc4XNb2QLw)
>              
>              
>              
>             Am 26.11.24 um 10:04 schrieb Margaret Leng Tan:
>              
>              
>           
> >   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
> >                  >   <>
> >                  > 
> >                  >
> >                 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> >                  > 
> >                  > 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
> >                  > 
> >                  > 
> >                  > ------------------------------
> >                  > 
> >                  > *********************************************
> >                  > 
> >                  > End of silence Digest Sun, 24 Nov 2024
> >                  > 
> >                   
> >             
>          
>              
>