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Equality 7-2521 View Drop Down
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Points: 15783 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: John Cage
    Posted: January 28 2012 at 17:34
I didn't mean to marginalize him. Nixon in China is a top 3 opera for me. I just personally resent the idea that Cage was more of an idea man than a great composer. To each his own though.
"One had to be a Newton to notice that the moon is falling, when everyone sees that it doesn't fall. "
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Slaughternalia View Drop Down
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Points: 901 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 26 2012 at 14:12
Originally posted by Equality 7-2521 Equality 7-2521 wrote:

Originally posted by Slaughternalia Slaughternalia wrote:

he wrote some good pieces here and there but most of the time they're pretty laughable. There are far more 20th century composers you should get into before John Cage. Try Louis Andriessen or John Adams for example, you know people you can take seriously


Ummm no. I love John Adams, but when you talk about 20th century music Adams was riding waves while Cage was filling oceans.
John Cage definitely had some cool stuff, but the majority of it falls into the "interesting and influential but laughably pretentious" category for me. And Adams was certainly not "riding waves". His take on postminimalism with hints of neoclassical in Nixon In China is far more musically successful than any of the experimentation I've heard from Cage. Also dat violin concerto, third movement. But that's just my opinion, and I'm just happy to see someone who appreciates John Adams Thumbs Up
I'm so mad that you enjoy a certain combination of noises that I don't
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JS19 View Drop Down
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Points: 1321 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 26 2012 at 13:14
Originally posted by Equality 7-2521 Equality 7-2521 wrote:

Originally posted by Slaughternalia Slaughternalia wrote:

he wrote some good pieces here and there but most of the time they're pretty laughable. There are far more 20th century composers you should get into before John Cage. Try Louis Andriessen or John Adams for example, you know people you can take seriously


Ummm no. I love John Adams, but when you talk about 20th century music Adams was riding waves while Cage was filling oceans.

And making duck noises in a water bath...
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Equality 7-2521 View Drop Down
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Points: 15783 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 25 2012 at 22:30
Originally posted by Slaughternalia Slaughternalia wrote:

he wrote some good pieces here and there but most of the time they're pretty laughable. There are far more 20th century composers you should get into before John Cage. Try Louis Andriessen or John Adams for example, you know people you can take seriously


Ummm no. I love John Adams, but when you talk about 20th century music Adams was riding waves while Cage was filling oceans.
"One had to be a Newton to notice that the moon is falling, when everyone sees that it doesn't fall. "
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Points: 22774 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 25 2012 at 16:58
John Cage was a gnarly dude. I like his works for toy piano.
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ExittheLemming View Drop Down
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Points: 11415 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 25 2012 at 16:44
If you say you haven't heard John Cage, you have (4:33) Wink

I find his ideas considerably more interesting than his music.
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CPicard View Drop Down
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Points: 10837 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 25 2012 at 04:29
Just like Equality said, start with his works for prepared piano: in their own manner, they still are his most "classical" works.

By the way, isn't there already a thread about John Cage?
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JS19 View Drop Down
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Points: 1321 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 25 2012 at 01:00
I'm studying three of his Sonatas For Prepared Piano for my A2 music course. I respect his intentions and ideals, and how he pushes the boundaries of what music is.

But they make me want to vomit.
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Slaughternalia View Drop Down
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Points: 901 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 24 2012 at 22:51
he wrote some good pieces here and there but most of the time they're pretty laughable. There are far more 20th century composers you should get into before John Cage. Try Louis Andriessen or John Adams for example, you know people you can take seriously
I'm so mad that you enjoy a certain combination of noises that I don't
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Equality 7-2521 View Drop Down
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Points: 15783 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 24 2012 at 22:34
How much are you into chance music? A lot of people get violently offput by it.

It think it's good to start with his prepared piano work. Sonata and Interludes for Prepared Piano has him experimenting with chance, but in a very relaxed sort of way.

I might recommend his string quartets where he's really experimenting with his thoughts on silence after that.

Imaginary Landscape is a monumental work where he's incorporating some of his eletronic elements and using radios.  Really all of them are pretty good. The first in particular is just amazing though.

He has a bunch of dance pieces. I'm not really into them so much. I would recommend his Etudes Australes from that sort of era.

HPSCHD is a kind of neglected electro-acoustic chance work he did with Lejaren Hiller. I really recommend you check that out. The recording doesn't come close to capturing the monumental work of art that it is, but it's still very good to listening. Read some about it. It was a very interesting idea.
"One had to be a Newton to notice that the moon is falling, when everyone sees that it doesn't fall. "
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Earendil View Drop Down
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Points: 1584 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 24 2012 at 20:45
I would like to listen to some of his music, but I really don't know where to begin.  I assume he covers quite a wide range of styles with how much he has recorded, so recs for different styles would be appreciated.
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