[silence] Cage and Ives

[Neely Bruce]

Dear SILENCE members -- Many of you will be aware of the interest of 
John Cage in Charles Ives.  I would just mention the piece on Ives in 
Cage's book "A Year From Monday"; the letter from Cage to Ives quoted 
in "Selected Correspondence of Charles Ives" (ed. by Tom C. Owens) in 
which he asks Ives to help with Lou Harrison's medical bills (Ives 
did just that, very generously); and the many comments on Ives quoted 
in Richard Kostelanetz's remarkable book "Conversing with Cage." 
[Sample quote on p. 40:  "...I find Ives quite relevant...when I 
listen to a piece of Ives what I like about it is not the quotation 
of hymns and popular tunes... What I like is the rest of it, the way 
it works, the process of it, the freedom of it, and 'do this or do 
that, do whatever you choose' -- that I love."]

I am about to bring to fruition the biggest performance project of my 
life, a complete presentation of all 185 songs of Charles Ives. 
Since the fall 2004 I have been working with a team of four singers 
and other assisting musicians to do all of this material, in all of 
the various versions.  This will culminate in the IVES VOCAL 
MARATHON, to take place at Wesleyan University on January 29, 30, 31 
and February 1, 2009.  Six concerts in three days, plus panels on 
various aspects of the songs and a keynote address by Ives's greatest 
fan, Kyle Gann.  For details please visit:

www.ivesvocalmarathon.com

Many of you are composers.  I would draw your attention to the 
section of the web site called "Interactive Ives," which invites 
composers anywhere, of whatever stylistic persuasion (including none) 
to complete the unfinished Ives song called "Smoke."

I hope some of you will be able to attend.  I hope some of you will 
complete "Smoke."  (Perhaps we'll perform your finished version.)  I 
hope some of you will read the blog and respond.  I hope some of you 
will write about how Ives has influenced you.  I hope that ALL of you 
will help spread the word to your Email correspondents  about what 
promises to be a magnificent musical weekend, and an unprecedented 
opportunity to hear all of this music at once.

Happy New Year -- Neely Bruce
-- 
Neely Bruce
nbruce@wesleyan.edu
telephone (860) 685-2578
FAX (860) 685-2651
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