A Cage Centenary

2012 marks the Centenary of  the birth (September 5) and the 20^th anniversary of the death (August 12) of John Cage. In honor of this significant year, there are many festivals and concert programs (and a few other non-musical tributes) dedicated to celebrating the life and work of this 20^th-century genius. Throughout the year there are many ample opportunities for exploring Cage’s work (beyond his most known work, 4’ 33”). Here are just a few of the many events that will be occurring over the next few months in honor of Cage:

New York-

If you find yourself in New York, the Juilliard School’s 2012 FOCUS! Festival (January 27 to February 3) is presenting six free concerts featuring over forty of Cage’s works, as well as works by his teacher Henry Cowell and his close colleague Lou Harrison. The festival, titled “Sounds Re-Imagined: John Cage at 100,” has programmed several well known Cage works such as the percussion pieces Third Construction and Credo in Us (as well as Cowell’s Ostinato Pianissimo), and other instrumental pieces like String Quartet in Four Parts, (selections from) Sonatas and Interludes, and Imaginary Landscape No. 1. Coupled with these works are many lesser known Cage works. The festival closes with the New Juilliard Ensemble performing a program that includes the seminal Concerto for Prepared Piano and Chamber Orchestra.

Also at the end of January, the League of Composers/ISCM is presenting a complete performance of the Sonatas and Interludes at Merkin Concert Hall. The pioneering work for prepared piano is an intriguing combination of Cage’s interest in the Indian Rasa and (more characteristically twentieth-century) mathematical structuring of music. The piece will be performed by pianist Eliza Garth.

London-

At the Royal Conservatory of Music the Variable Geometry contemporary music ensemble is taking on the gargantuan task of performing one of Cage’s longer works, HSPCHD. The work was written in 1969 and uses NASA footage (the moon landing occurred just months after this work’s premiere) accompanied by seven harpsichordists and up to 51 computer-generated tapes. A typical performance of the indeterminate piece lasts over 5 hours. The program also includes works by Cage’s teacher Henry Cowell and his close friend (and often equally musically protracted colleague) Morton Feldman.

Later in the year, the English National Opera will present Musicircus, a work from the Cage-ian FLUXUS movement. This work (called a “happening” in FLUXUS lingo) consists of having a diverse group of many various musicians and other artist coming together and performing simultaneously. The artists that participate come from assorted musical backgrounds and genres, from any of the many sorts of art forms, and from all levels of experience and talent. While each of these performers is set up in one particular space, the audience wanders about experiencing that many various “acts”. The effect is a wild and unpredictable sound. The Cage-ian effect of randomness is actually quite controlled, as each “act” lasts for stipulated amounts of time (naturally derived by chance operations).

Italy-

The citizens of Rimini, Italy will have snippets and materials of Cage’s work broadcast in various places throughout the year with the EVERYDAYJOHNCAGE event. The various venues where these sounds will be broadcast include the public transportation system and a small room in the city with an open window to the street which will broadcast sounds and images (including Cage himself talking) day and night. In addition to these broadcasts, the local newspaper will publish a quote by Cage each day. Accompanying all of this activity is a daily blog with photographs, text, sound, video, and details of what is happening around the city. This imaginative event is organized by a small group of Cage enthusiasts lead by Andrea Felli, Roberto Paci Dalò, and Leonardo Sonnoli.

Tampa-

Tampa, Florida might seem an odd choice to include in an overview list of events honoring John Cage, but even though Tampa is hardly considered a center of the arts, in celebration of Cage’s life the city is playing host to a somewhat different kind of tribute. The Museum of Contemporary Art at the University of Southern Florida is presenting a different side of Cage’s work—the visual. The museum has an exhibit of several examples of Cage’s visual art, several of which have never been publicly displayed before. The curator of the museum, Jade Dellinger, knew Cage and often communicated with him. The title of the exhibit comes from a line that Cage wrote in a letter to him—“Things Unseen”. In a further homage, the works are being displayed in a very Cage-ian fashion using chance operations. A somewhat odd addition that is included with the exhibit of his visual art is a section about is interest in mushrooms. A little known fact about Cage is that he was a Mycologist: a collector and consumer of mushrooms. He was even one of the co-founders of the New York Mycological Society. This small bit of the exhibit is dedicated to remembering that small part of his life.

In conjunction with the USF’s Museum of Contemporary Art’s Cage exhibit, the Tampa Museum of Art is presenting a performance of Cage’s 1969 work 33-1/3- Performed by Audience. The score of the piece dictates that the gallery be filled with several record players and a collection of vinyl records and the visitors are encouraged to play the role of DJ and freely play the records. In this incarnation of the installation, the museum procured “Top 10” lists from several prominent artists (visual and performance) for choosing which records should be included. The list artists who contributed includes names such as Yoko Ono, Iggy Pop, Jack White (of The White Stripes), and David Harrington (of the Kronos Quartet) among many others. The “performance” runs from January 28 to May 6.

 

The number of Cage events this year is quite extensive. Even the smallest cities (such as Tampa and Rimini) are presenting their own Cage tributes. With a minimal amount of searching anyone would be able to find their own local Cage event honoring this impressive figure. This brief overview outlines only the first few months of the year, and only a few of the many opportunities for experiencing the life and work of this perennially interesting and always curious artist. Several links presented at the end of this article provide more information about the many events that are happening over the year and throughout the world.\