John cage interview npr books

Just reading cages beautifully executed scores generally has given me greater satisfaction than listening to his music. Provenance this interview is part of the archives of american art oral history program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the united states, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others. In this interview from april 12, 1983, john cage discusses his diet, travelling, his educational background, being a tour guide, his current work. Where the heart beats npr coverage of where the heart beats. Npr s brings you news about books and authors along with our picks for great reads. John cage, zen buddhism, and the inner life of artists. Feb 08, 2012 as part of their groundbreaking american mavericks festival in march, michael tilson thomas and the san francisco symphony will be joined by three great voices of our time. Jul 29, 2017 a lively 1963 interview of john cage by jonathan cott. An essential part of his legacy are the pieces gathered herein, which span over fifty years of cagean thought and creativity. The son of an inventor, cage briefly attended pomona college and then traveled in europe for a time. No american composer has written about his work as brilliantly and wittily as john cage 19121992, one of the great avantgarde figures of the twentieth century. The following interview is pieced together from a series of taperecorded interviews with john cage during his recent visit to new york. Stream adfree or purchase cds and mp3s now on amazon.

This book presents one of the most innovative artists of the 20th century, john cage. John cage a music composing genius or a composed con. John cage has 91 books on goodreads with 18193 ratings. But cage never thought of himself as only or even primarily a composer. Nothing else will work because you can write books galore as i have. For the birds is a book, a dialogue and an event all at the same time. Richard teitelbaum, experimentalist with an earthspanning ear, dead at 80 as a young man, teitelbaum looked to avantgarde artists like john cage for inspiration.

John cage served neither as collaborator nor as interviewee. Kay larson is the author of a new book called where the heart beats. Mar 27, 2000 no american composer has written about his work as brilliantly and wittily as john cage 19121992, one of the great avantgarde figures of the twentieth century. A lively 1963 interview of john cage by jonathan cott. John cage a music composing genius or a composed con artist. In a 1988 interview with composer william duckworth, cage said that.

September 5, 1912 august 12, 1992 was an american composer, music theorist, artist, and philosopher. John cage interviewed by jonathan cott 1963 youtube. John cage, american avantgarde composer whose inventive compositions and unorthodox ideas profoundly influenced mid20thcentury music. In addition, he quotes from numerous sources including norman mailer, michael steinberg, igor stravinksy and others criticizing cage and his music. Song books solos for voice 392 is a collection of short works by john cage, composed and compiled by the composer in 1970. Author interviews npr interviews with top authors and the npr book tour, a weekly feature and podcast where leading authors read and discuss their writing. Based on an interview with john cage, conducted by charles amirkhanian at the exploratoriums speaking of music in san francisco, this ode to gravity program was. The global scope of the cage celebrations has surprised even the composers most committed admirers. Use our tags to filter books and find the perfect read for yourself or someone you love. Lectures and writings, 50th anniversary edition cage, john, gann, kyle on. Lets get back to terrys 1982 interview with john cage, who. July 28, 2009 by allan kozinn john cage was a prolific and influential composer whose work influenced the minimalist movement in art and music. It includes the installation essay which, inspired by henry david thoreaus the duty of civil disobedience, was designed by cage for documenta 8 in kassel. Sometimes people think about economics as a much narrower, less rich subject than it really is.

The product of thirty years, diary allows us a glimpse of the late twentieth century through cages eyes. Musicians from john lennon to frank zappa to john adams would go on to hail it as genius. I framed a copy of the score and it hangs in my house. John cage 19121992 was a composer and printmaker from new york, new york. Nprs book concierge is your guide to 2018s best reads. Nprs book concierge is your guide to 2017s best reads.

Fresh air listens back to an interview with cage from 1982. John cage biography, albums, streaming links allmusic. John cage at 100 cages most lasting influence may be in his ideas about the boundaries between noise and music and the artistic freedom that comes from breaking the rules. Aug, 2012 a guide to john cages music 433 has made him famous or should that be notorious. Based on an interview with john cage, conducted by charles amirkhanian at the exploratoriums speaking of music in san francisco, this ode to gravity program was heard nationwide over the npr satellite. John cage at 100 cages most lasting influence may be in his ideas about the boundaries between noise and music and. American composer john cage, among historys most influential artistic innovators, strove to broaden the definition of music and introduced chance operations into the compositional process. The notion of silence or as cage philosophizes, the lack thereof has informed both my thinking and my playing. Composed in america is the first booklength work to address the other john cage, a revisionist treatment of the way cage himself has composed and been composed in america. I gave up the notion of communication as impractical in my case. Composer john cage was born in 1912 and died in 1992. What had its origins in a simple but wideranging collection of conversations with daniel charles becomes under cage s hands a work for many voices and many subjects. John cages as slow as possible september 5, 2003 more than a decade after his death, american composer john cage continues to challenge listeners.

An interview with merce cunningham and john cage duration. He had a good understanding of the language, and books, and you could tell that by visiting him in his home and by the pictures he had on the wall, which were 1890ish john cage interview, 1974 may 2, archives of american art, smithsonian institution. The fine print reveals the reason for this handmade feel. The publication of a great artists letters is always an important event, but rarely is such a volume as thrilling to read as is the selected letters of john cage, which takes us from the 1930s, when cage was an eighteenyearold college dropout traveling in europe and algeria, to his robbery at knifepoint shortly before his sudden death in 1992. Lois long and john cage who died in 1992 and 2005, respectively created the original mud book on a kitchen table with newspaper, mud, and dandelion blossoms. He studied with richard buhlig, henry cowell, adolph weiss, and arnold schoenberg. Young readers will enjoy this titles cookbook format, complete with two recipes and troubleshooting instructions. A guide to john cages music 433 has made him famous or should that be notorious. Hardcover, 474 pages, penguin group usa, list price. The discussion covers several aspects of cages creative process and aesthetic. The affluent society by john kenneth galbraith 1958 i read this when i was. Avantgarde, 20th century classical, kpfa, john cage based on an interview with john cage, conducted by charles amirkhanian at the exploratoriums speaking of music in san francisco, this ode to gravity program was heard nationwide over the npr satellite. Composer john cage was merce cunninghams life partner and.

A deathmetal band covers john cage s 433 its brutal. Dec 05, 2017 npr s book concierge is your guide to 2017s best reads. Click and collect from your local waterstones or get free uk delivery on orders over. John cage, zen buddhism, and the inner life of artists by kay larson. Sonatas and interludes indian philosophy music of changes a flower nowth upon nacht list of. Oral history interview with john cage, 1974 may 2 archives. The interview was conducted in the artists home by paul cummings for the archives of american art, smithsonian institution.

In 1952, at black mountain college, he presented a theatrical event considered by many to have been the first happening. Nprs brings you news about books and authors along with our picks for great reads. John cages most famous, or infamous, work is 433, in which a musician walks onstage and sits at the piano for 4 minutes and 33 seconds. When the great avantgardist john cage died, just short of his eightieth birthday in 1992, he was already the subject of dozens of interviews, memoirs, and discussions of his contribution to music, music theory, and performance practice.

Cages intense musical composition consists of a pianist sitting at a piano and playing nothing. Jun 07, 2016 the publication of a great artists letters is always an important event, but rarely is such a volume as thrilling to read as is the selected letters of john cage, which takes us from the 1930s, when cage was an eighteenyearold college dropout traveling in europe and algeria, to his robbery at knifepoint shortly before his sudden death in 1992. He had a good understanding of the language, and books, and you could tell that by visiting him in his home and by the pictures he had on the wall, which were 1890ish john cage interview, 1974 may 2, archives of american art. Sep 07, 2016 in this interview from april 12, 1983, john cage discusses his diet, travelling, his educational background, being a tour guide, his current work, following arnold schoenberg, using chance when. A deathmetal band covers john cages 433 its brutal. Jul 01, 2000 for the birds is a book, a dialogue and an event all at the same time. Nov 06, 2017 the story behind john cage s 433 by lucas reilly.

What had its origins in a simple but wideranging collection of conversations with daniel charles becomes under cages hands a work for many voices and many subjects. Nineteen eightytwo was the year of his seventieth birthday and marked over half a century of creative activity. As part of their groundbreaking american mavericks festival in march, michael tilson thomas and the san francisco symphony will be joined by. Critics have lauded him as one of the most influential composers of the 20th century. The following oral history transcript is the result of a taperecorded interview with john cage on 1974 may 2. Find the best clips, watch programmes, catch up on the news, and read the latest john cage interviews. In the interview, cage talks about his relationship with merce cunningham, arnold schoenberg, igor stravinsky, and marcel duchamp, among others. Celebrations were worldwide for the artist and man who has become one of the most important and influential composers of this century. Ok, lets get the elephant out of the room right away. At every turn cott antagonizes cage with challenging questions. A pioneer of chance music, electronic music and nonstandard use of musical instruments, cage was one of the leading figures of the postwar avantgarde. Cage, as these original essays testify, is a contradictory figure.

John cage during his 1966 concert at the opening of the national. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and nonstandard use of musical instruments, cage was one of the leading figures of the postwar avantgarde. While many of our favorite books about music published this year exposed some. In a 1963 interview with public radio station kpfk, cage described a. Returning to the united states in 1931, he studied music with.