4:33" interpretations

[ahinton]

One might suppose that it was inevitable that this piece would become the butt of jokes of various kinds, some even funny, but the fact that it remains so today beggars belief, as arguably does the threadbare humour of of some of the would-be jokers who might be better advised to follow the example of the performance instructions as pictured above when commenting on it, namely TACET, TACET and TACET...

[Richard Barrett]

Unfortunately I didn't manage to memorise them. But I did like the pianist's new clothes.

TV host: Inevitably, Mr Cage, these are nice people... but some of them are gonna laugh [at your performance] - is that alright?
John Cage: Of course - I consider laughter preferable to tears.

He was always several steps ahead of the "new clothes" comments...

[verismissimo]

Much enjoying Cage's 'In a Landscape', played by Brooklyn Rider (on a CD I bought for the Debussy quartet). Altogether a terrific CD - not so easy to locate … https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dominant-Cu...inant+curve%22

[Bryn]

Much enjoying Cage's 'In a Landscape', played by Brooklyn Rider (on a CD I bought for the Debussy quartet). Altogether a terrific CD - not so easy to locate … https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dominant-Cu...inant+curve%22

I've not come across a duff Brooklyn Rider release, as yet. A superb ensemble.

Check out "The Imposter", with Béla Fleck. Great banjo playing, to boot.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Yesterday, I timed my performance of Rachmaninov’s C sharp minor Prelude.

It took 4’33”.

[cloughie]

Yesterday, I timed my performance of Rachmaninov’s C sharp minor Prelude.

It took 4’33”.

...and to think you could just have sat at the piano doing nothing and say you had played …...

[Richard Barrett]

...and to think you could just have sat at the piano doing nothing and say you had played …...

If Alpensinfonie plays Rachmaninov in the middle of the forest and nobody is there to hear it, does it really make a sound?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

If Alpensinfonie plays Rachmaninov in the middle of the forest and nobody is there to hear it, does it really make a sound?

In that instance, as Alpie is there to hear himself, then ...

If Alpie made a recording of his playing, and left it in the middle of the forest with a delay on the player so that it only started several minutes after he (or whoever) had gone beyond hearing range of the playback, then the question might be asked.

And, of course (yes, "of course") the answer is "Yes". Sound does not depend upon human hearing in order to exist; a recording device placed next to the playback would "collect" all the information from the vibrations in the air, regardless of whether a human ever got round to listening to it. Enough of this anthropocentric nonsense - that's what's gotten us into this fine mess, Stanley.

[Bryn]

In that instance, as Alpie is there to hear himself, then ...

If Alpie made a recording of his playing, and left it in the middle of the forest with a delay on the player so that it only started several minutes after he (or whoever) had gone beyond hearing range of the playback, then the question might be asked.

And, of course (yes, "of course") the answer is "Yes". Sound does not depend upon human hearing in order to exist; a recording device placed next to the playback would "collect" all the information from the vibrations in the air, regardless of whether a human ever got round to listening to it. Enough of this anthropocentric nonsense - that's what's gotten us into this fine mess, Stanley.

Now, now! You know totally well that there is nothing absolutist about 4'33".

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Now, now! You know totally well that there is nothing absolutist about 4'33".

[Richard Barrett]

In that instance, as Alpie is there to hear himself, then ...

Well done Wilson, I was wondering who would spot that one first.

[vinteuil]

"
And, of course (yes, "of course") the answer is "Yes". Sound does not depend upon human hearing in order to exist; a recording device placed next to the playback would "collect" all the information from the vibrations in the air, regardless of whether a human ever got round to listening to it. Enough of this anthropocentric nonsense - that's what's gotten us into this fine mess, Stanley.

...well, that's put Berkeley and Hume in their place and no mistake!



"According to substance theory, a substance is distinct from its properties, while according to bundle theory, an object is merely its sense data... "

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Substance_theory

.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundle_theory

.

[cloughie]

Now, now! You know totally well that there is nothing absolutist about 4'33".

On the contrary it is absolutely nothing!

[vinteuil]

On the contrary it is absolutely nothing!

... well - actually... it's nothing of the sort



.

[cloughie]

... well - actually... it's nothing of the sort



.

but nothing of what sort?