Posted on 01/06/2006 4:42:30 PM PST by Borges
HALBERSTADT, Germany (AFP) - A new chord was scheduled to sound in the world's slowest and longest lasting concert that is taking a total 639 years to perform.
The abandoned Buchardi church in Halberstadt, eastern Germany, is the venue for a mind-boggling 639-year-long performance of a piece of music by US experimental composer John Cage (1912-1992).
Entitled "organ2/ASLSP" (or "As SLow aS Possible"), the performance began on September 5, 2001 and is scheduled to last until 2639.
The first year and half of the performance was total silence, with the first chord -- G-sharp, B and G-sharp -- not sounding until February 2, 2003.
Then in July 2004, two additional Es, an octave apart, were sounded and are scheduled to be released later this year on May 5.
But at 5:00 pm (1600 GMT) on Thursday, the first chord was due to progress to a second -- comprising A, C and F-sharp -- and is to be held down over the next few years by weights on an organ being built especially for the project.
Cage originally conceived "ASLSP" in 1985 as a 20-minute work for piano, subsequently transcribing it for organ in 1987.
But organisers of the John Cage Organ Project decided to take the composer at his word and stretch out the performance for 639 years, using Cage's transcription for organ.
The enormous running time was chosen to commemorate the creation of Halberstadt's historic Blockwerk organ in 1361 -- 639 years before the current project started.
That original organ, built by Nikolaus Faber for Halberstadt's cathedral, was the first organ ever to be used for liturgical purposes, ringing in a new era in which the organ has played a central role in church music ever since.
As part of Halberstadt's John Cage Organ Project, a brand-new organ is being built specially, with new pipes added in time for when new notes are scheduled to sound.
Cage was a pupil of one of the 20th century's most influential composers, Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951).
Cage's avant-garde oeuvre includes works such as the notorious "4'33", a piece comprising four minutes and 33 seconds of total silence, all meticulously notated.
The organisers of the John Cage Organ Project say the record-breaking performance in Halberstadt also has a philosophical background -- to "rediscover calm and slowness in today's fast-changing world".
It's also called "Intermission"...
Can't wait to see the video
Cage, the infantile fruitcake. I saw a film of 4'33'' ages ago on PBS "performed" by Cage on a street corner near Harvard. The morons standing around actually applauded at the "end" when he left the piano.
Oh don't even compare Cage to Picasso! The latter was to Art what Stravinsky was to music (and Joyce to literature).
Is anyone using this church? How will people nearby tolerate having to listen to some note being played for several years? I suppose this is a good post-modern gesture -- an empty church where empty, pretentious "music" is being performed. But "performed" is the wrong word. This is non-music being not-performed. I can only imagine that Cage and his supporters intended this to be a mockery.
Reminds me of the famous painting "Tundra":
Quality stuff.
Hehe! I know what you mean but I actually like some of his work.
You're right.
That's giving Cage too much credit.
That painting was already posted at #118. I can't decide which rendition I like more.
Makes you wish that Dixie Chicks, Brbra, Green Day and a few others would take a hint from John Cage's 4:33. And Kenny Chesney too, while we're at it!
Yes, Pollack did some very high-quality work before he became famous for his scam art.
You got a pretty good sample of one of Cage's finer works about two hours after the last time you ate beans.
Can FR pull this post please? It violates copyright. This is not fair use.
Would you rather listen to John Cage's 4:33 or to Just a Hoe by a rap artiste named 'Livio'?
At least, it was listed in the program. I guess I really couldn't tell you whether it was truly performed, or whether the pianist sat down, forgot what he was supposed to do, and finally stood up (to much applause and acclaim from the same kind of people who wear berets and black clothing, smoke foreign cigarettes, and vote Democrat).
The only hint was that the pianist used a STOPWATCH to time the piece, so I guess maybe it was performed correctly.
Hummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...
That was a good movie.
My version of "4'33" includes some counterpoint that I composed myself. It is so good that no matter how closely you listen, you will still not hear it.
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