John Cage (1912-92)

[snyprrr]

There's a big 100 years thing this week in DC, including Irvine Arditti and Margaret Leng Tan.

[Karl Henning]

Yes, I've seen the piece in the Arts section of hard copy of Ze Vashington Poszt

[bhodges]

Happy 100th Birthday, John Cage. I put up a little tribute on my blog, here.

--Bruce

[some guy]

And what a cool tribute it is, to be sure.

Thanks, Brewski.

(Cool blog, too. I'd never looked at it before. I'll be back! )

[snyprrr]

Mode will be re-releasing the Arditti/Freeman Etudes 1-4. Good news for James!

[snyprrr]

The WPost had a review of Arditti playing the Freeman Etudes at the Philips Collection in DC, which, though positive, ends with a "I'm disappointed and I don't know why."

I would have liked to have met Arditti ...

[petrarch]

The WPost had a review of Arditti playing the Freeman Etudes at the Philips Collection in DC, which, though positive, ends with a "I'm disappointed and I don't know why."

I would have liked to have met Arditti ...

I have seen him/them live a number of times, they make it all sound 'fluid' and 'easy', which is perhaps why the reviewer was disappointed.

[snyprrr]

A 4th Wash. Post review of the Cage Centenary in DC. !! That's the most GMG I've ever seen in the Post, haha. Jenny Lin got some great press in the last week! Good for her.

[San Antone]

Some orchestral music from Cage - Sixteen Dances

[asin]B0029LJ98C[/asin]

The Boston Modern Orchestra Project led by Gil Rose does a great job with this music. 

[Karl Henning]

Mmm, nice.

[TheGSMoeller]

Any thoughts, concerns, praise for MacGregor's disc of Cage? It's in my "considering" list.


[asin]B004W7GP10[/asin]

[San Antone]

New release of 10,000 Things.  With software contained on an included USB drive, this recording presents Cage's concept of this piece more robustly than any previous iteration.

http://www.youtube.com/v/UamwhnPLE4Y

From article in New Music Box:
But the "I Ching Edition" of the recording also includes a remarkable something extra, contained on a USB drive the size of a business card. This inconspicuous piece of technology comes with software designed by Aron Kallay that allows us to listen to the pieces in any combination—solos, duets, trios, and quartets (in addition to the full quintet), for 31 total possible combinations. The sections of the shorter pieces are automatically distributed to fit the length of the longest piece, with silence interpolated between. The software also realizes Cage's instructions for shuffling the 28 sections of each individual piece (except for 45' for a Speaker, which doesn't use these divisions). That means that there are a dizzying number of possible versions just for each solo, a 30-digit number if my math is right. It turns out that Cage vastly undersold the number of things contained in his compositions!

[petrarch]

New release of 10,000 Things.  With software contained on an included USB drive, this recording presents Cage's concept of this piece more robustly than any previous iteration.

http://www.youtube.com/v/UamwhnPLE4Y

From article in New Music Box:
But the "I Ching Edition" of the recording also includes a remarkable something extra, contained on a USB drive the size of a business card. This inconspicuous piece of technology comes with software designed by Aron Kallay that allows us to listen to the pieces in any combination—solos, duets, trios, and quartets (in addition to the full quintet), for 31 total possible combinations. The sections of the shorter pieces are automatically distributed to fit the length of the longest piece, with silence interpolated between. The software also realizes Cage's instructions for shuffling the 28 sections of each individual piece (except for 45' for a Speaker, which doesn't use these divisions). That means that there are a dizzying number of possible versions just for each solo, a 30-digit number if my math is right. It turns out that Cage vastly undersold the number of things contained in his compositions!

Very interesting! Will be ordering it.

[bhodges]

Any thoughts, concerns, praise for MacGregor's disc of Cage? It's in my "considering" list.


[asin]B004W7GP10[/asin]

Somehow missed this - can't comment on it, but I have heard MacGregor's work in other repertoire and liked her.

New release of 10,000 Things.  With software contained on an included USB drive, this recording presents Cage's concept of this piece more robustly than any previous iteration.

http://www.youtube.com/v/UamwhnPLE4Y

From article in New Music Box:
But the "I Ching Edition" of the recording also includes a remarkable something extra, contained on a USB drive the size of a business card. This inconspicuous piece of technology comes with software designed by Aron Kallay that allows us to listen to the pieces in any combination—solos, duets, trios, and quartets (in addition to the full quintet), for 31 total possible combinations. The sections of the shorter pieces are automatically distributed to fit the length of the longest piece, with silence interpolated between. The software also realizes Cage's instructions for shuffling the 28 sections of each individual piece (except for 45' for a Speaker, which doesn't use these divisions). That means that there are a dizzying number of possible versions just for each solo, a 30-digit number if my math is right. It turns out that Cage vastly undersold the number of things contained in his compositions!

And thanks from me, too! Looks quite appealing.

--Bruce

[Pessoa]

Anybody has listened to the sixteen dances? I would like to read opinions.

[San Antone]

Anybody has listened to the sixteen dances? I would like to read opinions.

The BMOP's recording is a first rate performance of the work - (click on the image and you will find some quotes from reviews)



For me it is one of his more engaging compositions, since it sits on the boundary of his pre-planned works and the all-chance procedures.

[not edward]

The BMOP's recording is a first rate performance of the work - (click on the image and you will find some quotes from reviews)

If you have the Ensemble Modern recording: how do the two compare?

[San Antone]

If you have the Ensemble Modern recording: how do the two compare?

I don't have that  one, but there's at least one section, Tranquility, on YouTube from it (if the tagging is correct) -

https://www.youtube.com/v/D7NT4X7LUJw

Most of this recording is also on YouTube

[asin]B0001XAQKA[/asin]

They all sound good; but I don't feel any need to add to my BMOP disc.

[Pessoa]

For me it is one of his more engaging compositions, since it sits on the boundary of his pre-planned works and the all-chance procedures.

Thank you.

[Pessoa]

... can't stand Cage.

I think Cage himself would have like that