[silence] silence Digest, Vol 79, Issue 17

[Glenn Freeman]

John Kennedy wrote:

> But really, the most interesting question raised in this discussion to
> me is if a performance by Berlin or the Chicago would somehow sound
> more wonderful if observed ?faithfully?. The values of such orchestras
> ? uniformity in string style on wonderful instruments, homogeneous
> wind sound, technical virtuosity ? are not necessarily useful to a
> work composed in the style of 103.

I agree with everything you've written John, but we disagree on this  
idea of a Berlin or Chicago performance. What causes us to prejudge  
the result before hearing it? Are such highly educated habits and  
styles one aspect of what the Number Pieces are capable of changing  
within such musicians and institutions?

I feel these 6+ late orchestral works [I've labeled them Cage's  
symphonies for historical reasons described below] deserve a much  
larger audience and I look forward to hearing the result of a Chicago  
Symphony, Berlin Philharmonic, etc. performance or recording, soon.

But why? Not because I already know how it will turn out, but simply  
to hear what happens. A fantastic experiment! I am extremely curious  
to hear the result. Was it simply chance that Cage chose to write so  
many of these late works for symphony orchestra, and without a  
conductor?

After all, the whole weight of music history since around the 18th  
century, and up to the time of Cage's death, ran parallel to the  
development of the Symphony or large symphonic work. To suggest Cage  
did not have this in mind while writing 6+ such works in a such a  
short period of time is hard to believe.

Glenn Freeman
OgreOgress productions
http://ogreogress.com