[silence] silence Digest, Vol 79, Issue 17

[Brian Brandt]

Glenn

I think what John Kennedy is saying is that the world class symphony 
orchestras are not built for this type of sound, nor are most of their 
members eager to spend the time to "think" about their parts in the 
score (please note that I said "most" members, not a blanket "all"). 
This requires effort for something that will not actually show off their 
virtuosity. It also requires a conductor who, aside from being able to 
prepare the orchestra for the performance, is also ego-less enough to 
realize that he does not get the glory to stand there and conduct the 
piece. With Cage's orchestra in the late works, we are looking at an 
orchestra as a model for a new society. Sure, there are probably are 
some out there.

Most, if not all, of these late orchestral works were also commissions. 
This may, at least in part, explain their existence.

I can tell you, for example, that John was delighted by the Ozawa/Boston 
Symphony performance of "101", which was done conductorless. And, he 
also felt that Ozawa's performance of "Renga with Apartment House 1776" 
was also superb. I won't divulge what he felt about some of the other 
major orchestras' performanes of that same Bicentennial commission were. 
Ditto the conductors. All of which goes to say that major orchestras can 
do well with these pieces, especially given a sympathetic conductor.

However, I don't think you should hold your breath for their recordings 
of any of these works -- you may suffocate. But one can always hope.

Brian Brandt
www.moderecords.com



Glenn Freeman wrote:
> 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
>
> --
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