FYI: Cage's 4'33"

[J Patrick Draine]

Jay Mercier wrote:

> Using John Cage purely as an example of 20th century music AND something
> quite different from music in preceding centuries, AND not knowing the music
> or really knowing what temperament I would use if I were to tune a piano for
> a 4'33" concert, I thank you for your experience on this piece - since I
> don't know anything about it and the day comes, I'll most likely take your
> advice and tune E.T. on this one.  (How's that for a run-on sentence).
>

Dry humor is sometimes misinterpreted, here and elsewhere. Apparently a number
of you are unfamiliar with this piece.
It consists of the artist coming on-stage, seating (him or) herself at the
piano, and then attentively (or meditatively) carrying out the piece: which
calls for 4 minutes, 33 seconds of silence. Then rising to the audience's
thunderous applause (or whatever other reaction may have developed in the
crowd).
There's an old film of its performance in Harvard Square (Cage was part of the
event, but I forget whether he was the one at the keyboard).
Popular with surrealists, old beatniks, hippies, meditators, et al. Perhaps not
everyone.

Patrick