Klarinet Archive - Posting 000644.txt from 2001/09

From: "Heinemann, Stephen" <sjh@-----.edu>
Subj: [kl] Silence is Golden
Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2001 10:58:52 -0400

> His organ music didn`t begin with 16 months of silence. There
> were services every week in that very church, interrupting and destroying
> Cage`s silences, which included hymns, psalms,
> anthems, organ voluntaries, prayers, chants, responses, and the occasional
> cantata and oratorio I shouldn`t wonder. Not to mention the occasional
> symphony concert also. All written by composers who spent just a little of
> their time putting pen to paper.
> Enough said? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
> T.W.
>
No. Cage regarded silence as ambient sound, noting that even in an anechoic
chamber you can hear your own heartbeat. His so-called "silent pieces" are,
at least in part, lessons in listening -- paying attention to all the
sounds, not just the "intended" ones. (It is also true that the pieces gave
him more than a bit of notoriety, which some composers find useful in their
careers).

Igor Stravinsky (himself no stranger to notoriety), when asked to comment on
Cage's silent _4'33"_, replied, "Very nice -- I look forward to his longer
pieces." The 639-year-long piece is news to me, but it seems that Cage was
able to oblige in a big way.

Steve Heinemann
Bradley University

****************************
Dr. Stephen Heinemann
Associate Professor of Music
Theory/Composition/Clarinet
Bradley University
Peoria, IL 61625
(309)677-2603
sjh@-----.edu
****************************

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