“For John Cage” is one of the seven musical portraits Morton Feldman composed for friends. And it’s the third issued by Bridge Records. “For John Cage” doesn’t quote any of Cage’s music, but Feldman perfectly captures his aesthetic, I think. This 71-minute piece draws the listener in, and heightens their awareness of the ambient sounds […]
John Cage
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#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalBubble Week 3
Last month, the Classics a Day team came up with a theme to reflect the reality of social distancing. The challenge was to share solo works for unusual instruments — the kind of instruments best played in social isolation. For June, the team is again going with the times. Social bubbles are small groups of […]
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#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalDistancing Week 3
Normally the Classics a Day theme for May involved May Day (#SovietaDay). Having a theme centered around social distancing/self-quarantine seemed more appropriate. The challenge for May is post works for unusual solo instruments or works about solitude. Here are my selections for the third week of #ClassicalDistancing 05/18/20 Anon. 14th C. – Medieval dance The […]
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#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalQuartet Week 2
April is the fourth month of the year. And so the Classics a Day team decided to make classical quartets this month’s theme. One could easily fill up a month of postings with nothing but great string quartets. But I decided to explore further. A piano trio is made up of four musicians. So is […]
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#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalFilmScore Week 1
For February 2020, the #ClassicsaDay team chose film music as its theme. What exactly is the intersection of classical and film music? Share your answers with a post on Twitter or Facebook, with a link to musical examples. Some film composers began in the classical world. And some film composers have transitioned to classical music. […]
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John Cage: “Works for Two Pianos” a mixed bag
John Cage’s music can be difficult to listen to. And many times, that’s the point. Cage wanted audiences to be aware of the unspoken assumptions about what music was and how it should be listened to — or viewed. There’s often a strong visual element in his work. Which, I think, is the problem I […]