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0 pointsboredguy818y ago0 comments

There are at least three ways to answer that.

First, why?

Second, why doesn't the "sound of silence" count? Many composers utilize silence within a composition for a certain effect. Cage just took that to an extreme.

Third, some would argue that the sound of the audience-performer combination constitutes the 'sound' of the composition in this case--a _musical_ breakdown of the fourth wall. (Which is less cliche as an idea 50 years ago than it is today.)

On the whole, I probably agree with you. But there's a certain richness or fullness available to us after we've thought more rigorously about the questions involved than if we hadn't. (Consider the difference between seeing a sweet hack in a system you barely understand v. seeing a sweet hack in a system with which you're very familiar - the later is a much more profound experience.)

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iamelgringo18y ago

Yeah. John Cage doesn't really do it for me, either. While I'm sure he's philosophically important and all that. I'd much rather listen to a Mozart sonata, Vivaldi, Copeland, Phillip Glass, Gorezki or Arvo Part. Heck. I'd rather listen to the Bee Gee's than subject myself to John Cage for crying out loud.

Same with so much of modern, deconstructionist art. You can look at Picasso's cubist period, Pollock or Marcel DuChamp and say, "They break all the rules, and make us question why we have the rules in the first place." And while that keeps me interested for roughly 1 minute 15 seconds, I then want to look at something beautifully done like Picasso's rose or blue periods, or perhaps some Italian or Dutch masters. I can look at Renaissance master's paintings for days on end because they actually followed the rules.

So, the same reason that I'd rather listen to Mozart over Cage is the same reason that I'd much rather watch Bill Murray or John Belushi over Kaufman. Of course, YMMV.

anewaccountname18y ago

Consider seeing a crappy hack in either system that completely doesn't work, doesn't compile, does nothing, and has no purpose.

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