What’s funny is I posted Punky Cagey Party completely oblivious to the Adams review. And doing so has led me to read more about the man via various composer blogs.

With 2011 looming before us, I guess Cage is in the air – which is a great thing. The debate over his work and legacy should be welcomed even if with so much disagreement among members of our community at large.

Christian – In the photo above, I was cueing and manipulating samples of John Cage’s voice using the Kaoss pad – an instrument I believe Cage would have either loved or hated.

And while Sonatas and Interludes has long been a favorite, there are so many terrific pieces by Cage: Four, In a Landscape, Atlas, Aria, Whiskus, Rollywhollyover, Constructions, Rozart Mix – the list goes on! While I’m always glad to see Cage read, I wish he was heard more often!

Figuring that the average NYT reader is not going to be aware of the nuances of this discussion – Cage the writer vs. Cage the creator – I think Adams did Cage’s music a disservice. Saying that Cage is influential but that you don’t listen to him anymore gives license to the notion that he’s an important “philosopher” or “writer” but that one doesn’t really need to deal with his music.

And yes, if Adams doesn’t listen to the stuff, why is he writing about the bio for the New York Times? Off the top of my head I can think of 10 other composers who do listen to, study, research, and perform Cage that would have be able to discuss his music in the present tense, not as some touchstone from their past.

Always stimulating reading your posts and comments Chris. Enjoy the holiday!

Cage is a special case, and composers engage his music, ideas, and legacy in a variety of ways.

And Gann has written some things about improvisation that I do not agree with. Should he not write about improvising if he doesn’t improvise or doesn’t like it? I dunno. He writes well about so many things I don’t see any reason he shouldn’t?

In a sidebar, he distanced himself from Cage’s music: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/books/review/Upfront-t.html?ref=books

Kyle Gann gave an interesting reply over at PostClassic: http://www.artsjournal.com/postclassic/2010/11/cage_in_the_minds_repertoire.html

I’m certainly closer to Gann than Adams in assessing Cage’s music. I think he’s been grossly underrated as a composer. And I wonder why Adams is writing about a Cage bio if he doesn’t listen to Cage’s music?

BTW Kyle’s new book on 4’33″ is required reading!

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Yeah, I wonder WHAT “new wave” band Cage was referring to? The quote about the dancing is hilarious to me.

Just to clarify, Conversing With Cage is a collection of several exchanges between Cage and different interviewers over the course of several years.

Anyway, I appreciate Cage as a thinker, even while my own musical aesthetics are a million miles removed from his. Yes, he can be exasperating, often obtuse, but what I find him useful for (see what I did there?) is the consideration of options precisely a million miles removed from my instincts in all musical endeavors (not just compositional).