Second chord sounds in world's longest lasting concert

Yahoo ^ | 1/6/05

[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".

[spinestein]

[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.]




If this is considered a great example of pioneering music, then my butt is a new type of wind instrument and I can compose a new "masterpiece" by eating a can of pork and beans.

[Freedom_no_exceptions]

US experimental composer John Cage

Experiment failed.

[ErnBatavia]

I've just composed a one chord organ recital which will last 640 years and three months

Is your conductor demanding overtime pay?

[Wolfstar]

Using the same principle, I could put a picture frame around an open window.

Ah, but you could, Miss Marple. All you need is the right agent and some haughty fool to burble incomprehensible adjectives about your work.

Years ago when I still lived in New York, I had occasion to visit the United Nations building while an international art exhibit was on display. One of the paintings was a large canvas painted stark white. There was a small red dot precisely in the center of the canvas. That's it. A big white canvas with a small red dot in the center.

I have no idea who painted it or what it was supposed to represent, but I've also never forgotten it. The thing was beyond stupid, but I'll bet it was worth some ridiculous sum.

[Right Wing Assault]

We set our CD player to 'repeat' and play the 4'33" continuously. We've had it running on one player for 5 or 6 years. The player is actually broken and it's not even plugged in, so it's pretty cheap to keep the tune playing continuously. When we have company over, it makes nice background.

Also, another project of mine has been to play the dial tone over our national phone system for the past many years, to continue until the last standard phone network is gone.

[Borges]

If this is considered a great example of pioneering music, then my butt is a new type of wind instrument and I can compose a new "masterpiece" by eating a can of pork and beans.

Eduard Hanslick described Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto as music that stinks in the ear...

[spinestein]

[Cage was also an avid amateur mycologist and mushroom collector.]


No sh**!

[Wolfstar]

Cage was also an avid amateur mycologist and mushroom collector.

OK somebody clue me in, what's a mycologist? Is that, like, the study of myself? Cool, man.

[spinestein]

LOL!

[Chode]

sound familiar???

Communist Goals (1963)


20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions.

21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures.

22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to "eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms."

23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. "Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art."

24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press.

25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV.

26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy."

[Wolfstar]

If this is considered a great example of pioneering music, then my butt is a new type of wind instrument and I can compose a new "masterpiece" by eating a can of pork and beans.

ROFLMAO doesn't cut it as a reply. [snicker]

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Sales were surprisingly good in restaurants and bars that have jukeboxes.

Hmmmm blessed silence. He might be on to something.

[Miss Marple]

Mycology is the study of fungi.

[Right Wing Assault]

A mycologist studies his own colon. Hence, "my" and "colo". They use "g" instead of the "n" since "mycolonist" sounds dumb.

[oneofmany]

I'm planning on playing a Dm on March 9th 2011.

[RightField]

When I was in college I had an LP that was titled "Marcelle Marceau Live." The cover had the best graphics, and yes the whole thing was a blank. How I wished I had kept it. The cover graphics would have been a hoot to share with Freepers. Anyone else ever see it?

[Clemenza]

"Rite of Spring" is my favorite piece of music. I used to play it to irritate my hip-hop and merengue loving next door neighbors (along with Miles Davis's Dark Magus).

[Wolfstar]

LOL! Miss Marple, I like Right Wing Assault's defintion of mycology better.

[Right Wing Assault]

I'm planning on playing a Dm on March 9th 2011.

Damn! Pretty high-brow. Where can I get tickets? Will you release a CD?

[Borges]

You better practice!