4 upvotes, 1 direct replies (showing 1)
View submission: John Cage 4’33
After the war, Cage was inspired by Zen Buddhist thought and wanted to challenge the relative value we place on intentional sound (like played by instruments) versus unitential sound (like someone unwrapping a candy at a performance). My understanding of the piece, originally played in Central Park, I believe, is that it was designed to have people queued up to listen to music, which would then help them hear the surrounding noise as music. Still super pretentious, though!
Comment by markzip at 02/02/2025 at 15:29 UTC
6 upvotes, 1 direct replies
The piece was first performed in 1952 at the Maverick Concert Hall, in Woodstock NY.
The hall is in the middle of the woods and is rather open to the elements. As you say, ambient sound has been an inevitable (and necessary) part of the piece since its conception.