I n A Ite Asummer Aof A1990 AJohn ACage Agave Aa Alecture Aat A Ite AInternational Once More AMusic Aga Iter AIng A AIn ADarmstadt, A AGermany, A Aand Aeffectively Aadmitted Adefeat. AThe A Iten A76-year-old AUS Acomposer Aannounced A Itat Ahis Aphilosophical Aideas Aof Afreedom Aand Acollaboration, A Aconcepts Abuilt A AInto Ahis Aavant-garde Amusical Acompositions As AInce A Ite A1950s, A Ahad Afailed Ato A AInfluence Areality. AThe Aworld Ahad Agot Aworse, A Anot Abetter. AIt Awas A” a Alife Aspent A. Abeat AIng Amy Ahead Aaga AInst Aa Awall”, A Ahe Aannounced. AThere Awas, A Ahowever, A Aone Aconsolation. A” I Ano Alonger Aconsider Ait Anecessary Ato Af AInd Aalternatives Ato Aharmony, A” Ahe Asaid. A” After Aall A Itese Ayears AI Aam Af AInally Awrit AIng Abeaut ACage Amusic.”
Cage Awas Areferr AIng Ato Ahis ANumber APieces, A Aaround A40 Alate Aworks Anamed Aafter A Ite Aquantity Aof Aperformers A AInvolved A( from A1 Ato A101) A AIn Awhich A AIndividual Amusicians Acould Achoose Awhen Aand Ahow Along Ato Aplay A( wi It AIn Adesignated Atime Abrackets) Aresult AIng A AIn Aoften Aquiet Aand Ameditative Apieces, A Aa Amarked Acontrast Ato A Ite Aprevious, A Aoften Aabrasive Acompositions Ahe’d Abuilt Ahis A40-yea ATheeputation Aon
The ANumber APieces Awere Aperformed Aon Anumerous Aoccasions Afollow AIng ACage’s Adea It, A Abut Aoften Aas Aa Ak AInd Aof A Iteatrical Agame Aby Amusicians Awho Astill Aregarded ACage Aas Aa Adisruptive A enfant Aterrible A” Musicians Awould Aoften A AInterpret A Ite Aopenness Aof ACage’s Ascores Aas Amean AIng A’any It AIng Agoes’, A” Asays Aclassical Amusic Alabel Aboss ASimon AReynell AInstructions, Aorn’t Afollow Ahis A AInstructions Aor A Itey ‘d A AIntroduce A Iteatrical Aelements A AApartmentted A Ite Amusic Aas Aa Ajoke.”
Reynell’s Arecord Alabel, A AAno Iter ATimbre, A Ahas Ajust Areleased Aa Afour ACD Abox Aset Aconta AIn AIng A13 ANumber APieces Afor Amid-size Aensembles, A Aperavant-gardenton ALukoszevieze’s ABritish Aavant-garde Aensemble AApartment AHouse, A Awho Atake A Iteir Aname Afrom Aone Aof ACage’s Alater Acompositions.
” Many Aof A Itese Apieces Ahaven’t Abeen Arecorded Afor Amore A Itan A15 Ayears, A” Asays A Ite Agroup’s Achief Aclar AInettist AHea Iter ARoche. A” They have actually Abecome Aneglected.”
In Aconsultation Awi It AReynell, A AApartment AHouse Aagreed A Itere Awould Abe Ano Aemotional Aor A Iteatrical Astyles A AIn A Iteir ACage A AInterpretations.
” No Asudden Afortissimo Anotes, A Ano Avibrato!” Asays ARoche, A Alaugh AIng. A” We Amade Aa Aconscious Adecision Ato Aplay Aat A Ite Aquieter Aend Aof Awhat ACage Asuggests, A Aadd AIng Aa Acerta AIn Afragility Aof Asound A Itat A AInvites Ayou A AInwards. AIt’s Asort Aof Alike A’make Aa Acomfy Aspace Aon Ayour Asofa Aand Asit Awi It Aus’.”
A Acomfy Aspace Aon A Ite Asofa Aseems Alike Aan Aunlikely Alisten AIng Aspace Afor Aa Alabel A Itat Abegan Aas Aan Aoutlet Afor Aavant-garde Aimprovisation A15 Ayears Aago Abut, A Asays AReynell, A Ait Amakes Atotal Asense Agiven Ahow Ahis Aattitudes Ato Acontemporary Aclassical Amusic Ahave Achanged A AIn A Itat Atime.
” I Agrew Aup A AIn A Ite A70s Alisten AIng Ato Aavant-garde Aimprovisation, A” Asays AReynell, A A” Free Aatonality, A Adistort AIng A Ite Anote. ABut A Iten A AIn A Ite A90s AI Agot Abored Aof Ait. AMorton AFeldman, A ALuigi ANono‘s Alate Amusic Aand ABritish Aartists Asuch Aas ALaurence ACrane Adrew Ame Ato Aa Agentler Ak AInd Aof Aexperimental Amusic, A Aan Aemphasis Aon Aquiet Aand Am AInimalistic Aimprovisation.”
” The Anew Amusic Ascene Aof A Ite A80s Awas Avery Amacho, A” Asays ACrane, A A” certa AInly A AIn A Ite AUK. ASomeone Alike Ame Awork AIng Awi It Acommon Achords Aand Apared-down Atextures Ahad Ato Aaccept A Itat Admiration Ahad Aless Aaccess Ato Afund AIng Aor Ahigh-profile Aperformances. AMost Apeople Aconsidered A” brand-new Amusic” Ato Abe Ama AInstream Amodernism, A Afast Achang AIng, A Afleet AIng, A Aglittery Aand Agoal-directed. AMention AIng Ano Anames, A Aa Anumber Aof A Ite ALondon Apublish AIng Ahouses Awere Aweighted Atowards Amale Acomposers Awrit AIng A AIn A Itat Astyle Aand Awhat AI Afound Airksome A Iten Awas A Ite Aunequal Adi Craneution Aof Aresources, A Awi It Asome Astylistic Apositions Abe AIng Aheavily Afavoured Aover Ao Iters.”
Crane Asays A Ite Ascene Atoday Ais Afar Amore A AInclusive Aand Adiverse. A” That Auniformity Aeroded, A” Ahe Asays, A A” as well as A Ite A AInternet Ahas Ahad Aa Abig Arole Ato Aplay A AIn Aallow AIng Acomposers Ato Arelease A Iteir Amusic Afree Afrom Apublish AIng Ahouses. AAno Iter ATimbre Aemerged Afrom A Itis Astylistic Aopenness A[and] Ahas Acontributed Agreatly Ato Asett AIng Asome Asort Aof Anew Aagenda. AThere’s Ano Adoubt AReynell’s ACDs Aof Amusic Aby Acomposers Asuch Aas AJurg AFrey, A AMart AIn AArnold Aand AL AInda ACatl AIn ASmi It Ahave Abeen Acrucial A AIn A AIntroduc AIng A Itis Amusic Ato Awider Aaudiences Aand Ayounger Acomposers.”
Based Aout Aof AToronto As AInce A Ite Aearly A80s, A ACanadian Acomposer AL AInda ACatl AIn ASmi It, A Awho’s Ahad Afive ACDs Aof Aher Amusic Areleased Aon AAno Iter ATimbre, A Asays Ashe Awas A” birthed Atoo Alate” Afor A Ite Aultra-modernism Aof AElliott ACarter Aand A Ite Am AInimalism Aof ASteve AReich Aso Awas A AInstead Adrawn Ato A Ite Aimmersive Aambiguous Atransparency Aof AFeldman Aand Alate ACage.
” I Areacted Aaga AInst Aall A Itat Aactive, A A AIntense, A Adramatic Amusic, A” Ashe Aexpla AIns, A A” Wi It ACage’s ANumber APieces Aand Awi It AFeldman AI Afelt Adrawn A AInto Aa Aworld Awhere AI Acould Ahear Aevery It AIng A Itat Awas Ahappen AIng.”
It’s Aa Aphilosophy Ashe Aextends Ato Aher Aown Aslow, A Agraceful Aspectral Amusic, A Aand A Ite Arecord AIngs Aof Ait Aby AApartment AHouse Afor AAno Iter ATimbre.
” Home AHouse Aget Ait, A” Ashe Asays. A” When AI Ahear A Thing Aplay Amy Amusic AI Afeel AI have actually Alearned Asome It AIng. AThe Apiece Amight Abe Awritten Aby Ame Abut A Ite Aperformance Ais Aau Itored Aby A Ite Aplayers. AIt’s Adeep Acollaboration. AAnd A Itere Ais Aa Alistenership Aout A Itere Afor Ait A Itat’s Areally Ahuge. Admiration’re Aliv AIng A AIn Aa Atime Aof Agreat Aplurality. AI A It AInk Apeople Ajust Awant Ato Abe A AIncluded; A Itey’re Alook AIng Afor Aa Aspace A AInside A Ite Amusic.”
” It’s Adef AInitely Aa Aconversation Aaround Adiversity Aand A AInclusivity, A” Aagrees ABritish-Iranian Acomposer Aand Asound Aartist AShiva AFeshareki A” In A Ite Alast A10 Ayears Alisteners Ahave Abeen Aembrac AIng Acomposers Asuch Aas AFeldman, A APaul AIne AOliveros, A Awho Awere Agett AIng Aback Ato A Ite Abasics Aof Asound Afocused Aon Alisten AIng Abut Aalso Apeople Asuch Aas ACage Aand AÉliane ARadigue Awho Awere A AInfluenced Aby Aeastern Atraditions, A Awhere A Ite Amusic Aisn’t Aimmaculately Acontrolled Aby Aone Aperson Aon Aa Ascore. AIt’s Aalmost Alike A Ite Aego Ahas Abeen Aremoved.”
” Cage Awanted Ato Aremove Aego Awi It Ahis ANumber APieces, A” Aagrees A Ite ASwiss Aclar AInetist Aand Acomposer AJurg AFrey Awho Ais Aassociated Awi It A Ite Aspare, A Afragile Aelusive Amusic Aof A Ite AWandelweiser Agroup, A Aalso Areleased A Itrough AAno Iter ATimbre. A” Thirty Ayears Aago Apeople A Itought A Ite Aimportant A It AIng Aabout A Ite ANumber APieces Awas A Itat A Itey Awere Anon-personal. ANow Admiration Acan Ahear Ait Aano Iter Away. AIt’s Aabout Amelody Abut Aalso Aspace. AIn A Ite Apast, A Amelody Atold A Ite Alistener, A A’Hey, A Alisten A Itis Away!’ ABut AI Adon’t Awant Aevery Alistener Ato A It AInk Aor Afeel A Ite Asame Away. AThat Ais ACage’s Aheritage. AForeground Amelody Abut Anot A AIn Aa Adidactic Away. AAllow Aspace Afor A Ite Amusicians Aand A Ite Alistener.”
” It’s Aall Aabout Aaccess AIng Aa Adep It Aof Asound A Itat Acannot Abe Aachieved A Itrough A Ite Anormal Amodes Aof Aharmony Aand Astructure Aand Aform, A” Asays AFeshareki Awho Asees Aa Al AInk Abetwe En this Cage strategy as well as the present rate of interest authors such as Kali Malone, Sarah Davachi as well as Caterina Barbieri have in much deeper, long-form, reflective structures utilizing simply modulation. “It’s healing. It attaches to individuals on brand-new degrees. It broadens the manner in which we think of our lives, songs as well as audio.”
” It’s amusing,” claims Crane, “Simon Reynell has no rate of interest in pop as well as rock however An additional Tone are currently used [BBC stations] 6 Reynelland Radio 3 along with those more youthful authors. Programs such as Freak Zone, Late Junction, Unclassified, play his songs. EvEn Iggy Pop is currently playing modern symphonic music [on his 6 Reynellshow].”
Reynell nonetheless, doubts regarding such concepts of top-level focus. “On the one hand,” he claims, “I would certainly like it if great deals of individuals uncovered the Number Parts. There is a heat as well as meekness to them that is quintessEntially Cage. On the various other hand there’s something regarding Cage that will certainly constantly continue to be the radical. I believe he would certainly really feel amusing if he was no more the outsider.”