John Cage: An Anthology (Da Capo Paperback) [Paperback]

John Cage (Author), Richard Kostelanetz (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Da Capo Paperback | Publication Date: March 21, 1991

For years he was dismissed as an eccentric exponent of arbitrary noise punctuated by silence. Now, however, John Cage is universally acknowledged as the most influential composer of his generation. Cage’s activities as composer, graphic artist, poet, teacher, critic and—not least—writer are explored in this collection of readings by and about this avant-garde pioneer, covering his most innovative period, 1933–1970. The main concern of John Cage: An Anthology is, of course, music: here composers and critics such as Virgil Thompson, Henry Cowell, Edward Downes, and Michael Zwerin analyze Cage’s contribution to sound; Cage comments on his own works, such as Sonatas and Interludes, Cartridge Music, and Williams Mix; and the editor, Richard Kostelanetz, also includes Cage’s groundbreaking essay, ”Future of Music: Credo” and his perceptive remarks about composers from Satie and Webern to Stockhausen, But this anthology by no means neglects the other aspects of Cage’s creativity. Cage writes fondly here of his collaboration with Merce Cunningham, the space-time avant-garde dancer and choreographer; Barbara Rose and Dore Ashton review Cage’s influence on the contemporary art scene; his poetry is both represented herein and analyzed by Kostelanetz; and his teaching is remembered vividly by his students. Including a newly updated bibliography, discography, and catalog of compositions, as well as more than sixty illustrations, this collection is invaluable not only for students, teachers, and scholars, but for all who take a lively interest in the growth of the avant-garde in the twentieth century.

Product Details

• Paperback: 237 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (March 21, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306804352
• ISBN-13: 978-0306804359
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,094,488 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #10 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( C ) > Cage, John

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Ottimo, November 5, 2011

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Luigi - See all my reviews

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This review is from: John Cage: An Anthology (Da Capo Paperback) (Paperback)

L'imballo era perfetto, il libro era in perfette condizioni, la spedizione è stata la più rapida possibile. L'acquisto è stato del tutto soddisfacente sotto tutti gli aspetti

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5.0 out of 5 stars The place to start with Cage, September 17, 2006

By 

David Alston (Chapel Hill, NC, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: John Cage: An Anthology (Da Capo Paperback) (Paperback)

This is THE place to begin with John Cage, easily one of the more intriguing creative minds of the 20th century.

Kostelanetz assembles a free-ranging portrait of the man - mostly varied essays and theories of composition and performance, but along the way Cage's more arcane influences also surface: his Buddhism, and fascination with chance, which was embodied in his fixation with the "I Ching," which became both a point of departure for theoretical meditations, and a most unusual compositional tool.

Cage was the quintessential modernist, and even when his music was daunting and intrepid, his ideas were never, ever stupid, ill-informed or socially disconnected. And Kostelanetz' anthology is great, affectionate, engaged and fascinating - it will turn you into an admirer.

-David Alston