Chance Operation: The John Cage Tribute

Joan Jeanrenaud (Performer), Paul McCandless (Performer), Laurie [performance artist] Anderson (Composer), Robert Ashley (Composer), Larry Austin (Composer), John Cage (Composer), John Cale (Composer), Takehisa Kosugi (Composer), John / Ono, Yoko Lennon (Composer), Jackson Mac Low (Composer), Ken Nordine (Composer), Oregon Symphony (Composer), Research Composer (Composer), Ryuichi Sakamoto (Composer), James Tenney (Composer), David Tudor (Composer), Christian Wolff (Composer), Anne Tardos (Conductor), Glen Moore (Performer), Larry Austin (Performer)

Product Details

• Performer: Joan Jeanrenaud, Paul McCandless, Glen Moore, Larry Austin
• Conductor: Anne Tardos
• Composer: Laurie [performance artist] Anderson, Robert Ashley, Larry Austin, John Cage, John Cale, et al.
• Audio CD (November 18, 1993)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Koch Int'l Classics
• ASIN: B000001SH6
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #247,670 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  #8 in	Music > Classical > Featured Composers, A-Z > ( S ) > Sakamoto, Ryuichi
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  #73 in	Music > Classical > Featured Composers, A-Z > ( C ) > Cage, John

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What? 183 tracks? What for? There is a reason..., August 2, 1999

By	Sparky P. "jsparkyp" (composer, all around nice guy, yada yada yada) - See all my reviews

It might be bewildering at first. The first disc has 98 tracks; the second, 85. If you listen straight through, you do not perceive any discontinuity. A collection of John Cage pieces performed by friends, collegues, and admirers. Frank Zappa (American composer [complete biographical blurb that he provided]) contributed 4'33". Laurie Anderson tells a few Merce Cunningham tales. Seems like a fun tribute from the git-go. But wait! (And this is where the fun begins!) Switch your CD player to the shuffle (random) mode. Now look what happens. It goes from, say, Yoko Ono's piece to the Kronos to the Moraz prepared piano performance to Ken Nordine's narration - all in the matter of seconds. It is a great to homage to Cage himself with the great use of the random chance operations that he might have enjoyed. Every performance of this disc becomes a unique experience (just like Cage). For even more fun, try playing both discs at the same time (provided, of course, you have the means; if not, improvise). Or add another sound source as well, like, say, the radio, or the television very low, or a tape of white noise. The possibilities are endless. I had the pleasure of trying this one day with FOUR players going on simulataneously: two with these discs, another with Miles Davis far in the background, the fourth with a disc of bird calls. It was quite a fun sound environment and I would not hesitate to try it again. But that was my experience. Your experience may be different.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Silence please!, August 30, 2006

By	A. A. van Heuvel "heuva" (The Netherlands) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

My only reason for buying this CD is the track 4:33 by Frank Zappa. 4:33 minutes of total silence, well almost total silence because you can hear a little background noices in the control room of Frank. It is a very interesting cd. But if you are not a fan of Zappa or Cage, and you like to hear music I say: buy something else. If you are ready for an experiment: buy this one or the CD Roaratorio.

3 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Georgia Stone the best antiwar composition to date, December 14, 2002

By	Thomas Lapins (Orlando, Florida USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The whole collection is interesting. However, the great moment of this collection is the Ono contribution Georgia Stone. It's a fluxus symphony. Never have I heard a more poignant antiwar piece. It rates in power and beauty to Henryk Gorecki's Symphony #3 with soprano Dawn Upshaw. If anyone ever doubted the genius of Yoko Ono as being relevant and an artist of the highest calibre then listen to this masterpiece and you'll be jolted into her energy as an artist. Yoko, give us more of this kind of music.