On Wed, 23 Apr 2003 13:32:46 -0500 Herb Levy wrote:
I look at it in almost exactly the opposite way. If there are classical musicians and listeners to classical music who dig some works of Cage now, then it doesn't matter what people who are "deeply in love with experimental music" think. There are pieces by Cage that
It does because most people, as you know, simply look for instant gratifica- tion. If the people who are willing to do their home-work and try, some very hard, without any success, so what? We were all told that Cage was a genius and I grew up with that belief. After so many years, like any human being whose BS detector is not completely turned off, I started to question how dressed the king was. The more I listen, the less I see how Cage can be considered as a major composer (assuming that music is still what matters to be a composer). I am not dismissing the man who I respect as a higly creative person, simply his music that is, IMHO, of anecdotal value (interesting, at best).
are entering the classical repertoire, being performed by classically trained musicians because they like the music, musicians who never met Cage and aren't carrying on some kind of crusade to continue or resuscitate the career of a dead friend.
The intellectual pedestal on which Cage has been put can be intimidating for a young artist. I am not surprised that young musicians play Cage once in a while based on his status. Even after 50 years, you might still be considered as taking risk by playing Cage (that should alarm the creative audiences, but does not seem to), and where would be "high-brow" music without a little bit of sponsored risk taking :-). Patrice.