Top 5 Favourite Cage Works

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

A wonderfully versatile composer who has composed many beautiful and intriguing works. What are your top 5? As many of my favourite works of his simply have a number as the title, I am going to have to go consult YouTube and Spotify to refresh my memory as to which ones I am particularly fond of.

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Ok here is a list of five works I really like:

Seven2
Thirteen Harmonies
Four4
58
Water Walk
Seventeen

And that is definitely five works.

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Yep, Cage is incredibly prolific! I tend to enjoy his number pieces and other late works the best though. But i do love Water Walk as well haha

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

I have to mention two pieces I recently discovered for myself which must be on some kind of 'favourite cage works' list of mine:

101
Ryoanji

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Do read this, about Ryoanji. Rather interesting, but I have to stress it won't be anything that will impact anyone's enjoyment of the piece: http://johncage.org/pp/John-Cage-Work-Detail.cfm?work_ID=165

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

New favourites list:

101
Eight
Thirteen Harmonies
Two4
Ryoanji
Seventeen

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

I think it would be good to bump this thread, so that it doesn't get lost.

I know there are Cageians amongst us! 

Good idea. I haven't been listening to Cage lately so my list is pretty much the same as last time.

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

I'll bump this thread yet again! to say that I REALLY LOVE "In a landscape", it's just so beautiful. In a sentimental, yet distanced way.

I'm also starting to get into the number pieces 

Keep at it with those Number Pieces! Some of his finest works imo!

[bhodges]

Atlas Eclipticalis - In addition to the wonderful DG recording with Levine and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, I had the great fortune to hear Levine do it with the MET Orchestra in 1996, and with the MET Chamber Ensemble in 2015.
Living Room Music
4'33" - The amount of conversation about music, art, philosophy, and other subjects that have stemmed from this piece is overwhelming.
Europera 1 & 2 - Again, feel very lucky to have seen this in 1988, when a production from Frankfurt made its way to NYC during the summer.
Song Books - I am especially fond of the one using the pile driver.

Many of his works I have not heard (including a lot of the "number pieces"), but then, his output is huge!

--Bruce

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Atlas Eclipticalis - In addition to the wonderful DG recording with Levine and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, I had the great fortune to hear Levine do it with the MET Orchestra in 1996, and with the MET Chamber Ensemble in 2015.
Living Room Music
4'33" - The amount of conversation about music, art, philosophy, and other subjects that have stemmed from this piece is overwhelming.
Europera 1 & 2 - Again, feel very lucky to have seen this in 1988, when a production from Frankfurt made its way to NYC during the summer.
Song Books - I am especially fond of the one using the pile driver.

Many of his works I have not heard (including a lot of the "number pieces"), but then, his output is huge!

--Bruce

Fantastic! I think there were a couple of Cage concerts on here in Melbourne recently, predominantly prepared piano works, which I am kicking myself for not seeing..........I have no idea when any Cage will be performed any time soon down in this part of the world.

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Five that come to mind

Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano
Concerto for prepared piano
Ryoanji
Five, for any five instruments or voices
Seven², for bass flute, bass clarinet, bass trombone, two percussionists with unspecified instruments, cello and contrabass

But, John Cage is a hugely important composer for me and everything he produced is music that I listen to a lot.

These are all really wonderful! Glad to see another mention of Seven²