[Dixielandjazz] Second Chord Sounded in John Cage's 639 yearconcert.

[Steve barbone]

on 1/10/06 12:21 AM, Bill Gunter at jazzboard at hotmail.com wrote:

> Regarding the John Cage Project . . .
> 
> As we all realize, this is total garbage and is designed to make the world
> marvel at what a fantastic human being John Cage must have been rather than
> what a splendid piece of music this is.
> 
> ****! (extremely vulgar word here) - you can't dance to a tune that begins
> with a year and a half rest.
> 
> I once subscribed to a periodical produced by the University of California
> at Davis Music Department. It was about "new music." One issue contained a
> recording of a piano burning (you had to laugh or cry or both)"  and I
> remember getting an issue that had a page of music manuscript paper with
> nothing written on it, but it had a number of bullet holes punched through
> it. The "composer" had set a wad of the manuscript paper up against a fence
> and shot it up with his rifle. It was incorporated into the pages of the
> periodical. It was fun to listen to.
> 
> Please . . . somebody . . . try to convince me that this is serious academic
> stuff and not just children getting their kicks by being outre.
> 
> Sheesh!

Hi Bill & Listmates:

Two observations, since you asked.

1) I think the chords now continually sound since they use weights on the
organ. That rest was in the beginning. The sound now may be like that "earth
chord", or universe chord", or the slot machine room chord at the Showboat
in Atlantic City. Continuous drones, all.

2) Time, according to Einstein's Theory, is a relative measure and depends
upon how fast one travels through the universe. Thus, for one travelling
close to the speed of light, time would actually slow down to the point
where Cage's 639 year song would, to the traveler, be over in an instant,
while taking 639 years for us poor earthbound mortals.

Like if a space ship travels to, and returns from another point in the
Universe, 639 light years away, at just under the speed of light, the
astronauts would be less that a year older when they got back, yet all of us
they left behind on earth would be a little over 639 (dead) years older.
They would have heard all of Cage's song had it been broadcast.

Ergo, perhaps

John Cage is really a time traveler, or he knows a few and has written this
song for them, not for us.

Or, like you say, perhaps he is getting his kick by being outre. Or then,
perhaps it is those of us who re-create old music who are outre? :-) VBG

Either way he gets press, attention, and probably funding for his projects.

Cheers,
Steve