Conversing with Cage: Edition 2

Richard Kostelanetz

Dis 2003 · Routledge

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Conversing with Cage draws on over 150 interviews with John Cage conducted over four decades to draw a full picture of his life and art. Filled with the witty aphorisms that have made Cage as famous as an esthetic philosopher as a composer, the book offers both an introduction to Cage's way of thinking and a rich gathering of his many thoughts on art, life, and music. John Cage is perhaps this century's most radical classical composer. From his famous silent piece (4'33) to his proclamation that all sound is music, Cage stretched the aesthetic boundaries of what could be performed in the modern concert hall. But, more than that, Cage was a provocative cultural figure, who played a key role in inspiring scores of other artists-and social philosophers-in the second half of the 20th century. Through his life and work, he created revolutions in thinking about art, and its relationship to the world around us. Conversing with Cage is the ideal introduction to this world, offering in the artist's own words his ideas about life and art. It will appeal to all fans of this mythic figure on the American scene, as well as anyone interested in better understanding 20th century modernism.

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Richard Kostelanetz has authored over 40 books of criticism of contemporary music and the arts. He is noted as one of the first critics to recognize the importance of John Cage, and has written and collected several books on Cage and his work. He is a long-time resident of SoHo in New York City.