John Cage enthuÂsiÂasts have sureÂly rejoiced at the New York PubÂlic Library’s openÂing of John Cage Unbound: A LivÂing Archive, which offers visÂiÂtors a chance to expeÂriÂence how the uniqueÂly innoÂvÂaÂtive comÂposer’s life and work conÂtinÂue to affect the perÂforÂmance of music today. But if you don’t hapÂpen to live in New York, no need to book a trip; you can browse the archive online whenÂevÂer and from wherÂevÂer you please. One wonÂders what Cage, who died the year before the debut of the World Wide Web as we know it, would have made of all the artisÂtic invenÂtion, sonÂic and othÂerÂwise, that the interÂnet has enabled. I like to think he’d gaze with great fasÂciÂnaÂtion at this site’s conÂtinÂuÂalÂly updatÂed colÂlecÂtion of not only vinÂtage John Cage footage — him playÂing ampliÂfied cacÂti and plant mateÂriÂals with a feathÂer with TakeÂhisa KosuÂgi, him speakÂing in 1978 — but recent mateÂrÂiÂal as well, such as Paul SchuetÂte’s interÂpreÂtaÂtion of the piece “Water Walk,” and The Anta Project perÂformÂing Cage’s famous “4’33”,” the piece that involves no playÂing, at the U.S.-Mexico borÂder.
BridgÂing the gap between the old and the new, the video above colÂlects perÂsonÂal impresÂsions of John Cage from those who parÂticÂiÂpatÂed in his 1970 perÂforÂmance at Carlisle, PennÂsylÂvaÂniÂa’s DickÂinÂson ColÂlege. “Intense, obserÂvant, focused,” says the colÂlege’s PresÂiÂdent William DurÂden. “Not necÂesÂsarÂiÂly a perÂson who took up space, but a perÂson who realÂly… chisÂeled space.” ThinkÂing about the nature of the conÂcert, Joe Sobel, a musiÂcian who built an instruÂment out of junked car horns espeÂcialÂly for it, rememÂbers that “if you approached it in a dour, seriÂous way, you weren’t going to be able to make any sense of it. In order to enjoy it, you had to be open and willÂing to get the joke.” He could say the same about everyÂthing John Cage ever did. HearÂing these reflecÂtions and then, latÂer in the video, seeÂing a group of DickÂinÂson stuÂdents grapÂple with putting on Cage’s “Radio Music” — a piece played not with traÂdiÂtionÂal instruÂments, but litÂerÂal radios — even viewÂers who aren’t yet John Cage enthuÂsiÂasts may find themÂselves intrigued. SpendÂing an evening at John Cage Unbound will get them up to speed on the comÂposer’s endurÂing relÂeÂvance; pair it with a readÂing of Cage’s famous book/manifesto Silence, and you’ll nevÂer think about music in quite the same way again.
RelatÂed conÂtent:
John Cage PerÂforms Water Walk on “I’ve Got a Secret” (1960)
ColÂin MarÂshall hosts and proÂduces NoteÂbook on Cities and CulÂture. FolÂlow him on TwitÂter at @colinmarshall
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