[driftless]

Cage was a charlatan who proved once again that some things are so stupid only intellectuals believe them. My belief is that Cage knew early on that he lacked any musical aptitude but like legions before wished to be famous. How then to gain fame? Why by concocting his "music" system and gaining the praise of all sorts of screwball avant-garde music critics who also wished to be famous. Cage, Schoenberg, and others like them are musical frauds and dead-ends like (c)rap "music".

[aristotleman]

I can see why you would say that about Cage, I think similarly, often. He didn't think of himself as much of a musician though. He was experimenting with the boundaries of sound, music and perception and never claimed he was trying to create beauty or ugliness. All of that experimenting is gone now, few composers are still interested in "pushing the envelope". Now there are those who try to blend styles in order to be fashionable, there's the purists clinging to ideas that used to be creative, most are charlatans IMO.

[Savage Beast]

"some things are so stupid only intellectuals believe them"

That's very good, Drift. I hope you don't mind if I quote you.

I remember one college professor who was carried away by the sound of nuts and bolts jolted by a running motor. I think that was one of Cage's opera.

It also brings to mind the political opinions of so many "Liberal" academic "intellectuals".

[Borges]

"Schoenberg, and others like them are musical frauds and dead-ends like (c)rap "music".

Don't listen to much Schoenberg do you?