John Cage recordings

[ruben]

I don´t know if it is my favourite Cage recording, but it was one of my first (1991) and dispite I listen to it regurlarly, the first track on the first cd, still surprises me.

John Cage - Music For Five
hat ART CD 2-6070
2 x CD, Album
1991

1-1
45' For A Speaker / 34'46.776" For A Pianist / 31'57.9864" For A Pianist / 27'10.554" For A Percussionist / 26'1.1499" For A String Player 45:12
Cello - Frances-Marie Uitti
Percussion - Robyn Schulkowsky
Piano - Marianne Schroeder , Nils Vigeland
Voice - Frances-Marie Uitti

[Notice Recordings]

I recently heard "Six Melodies" from the Mode CD "The Works for Violin 4" (on the DRAM site at a university -- unfortunately I can't find a copy of this amazing release), and I was really enamoured with the complex melodic structure of the pieces, and moreover the conflicting themes that keep it so intriguing. It's something rare with Cage ; these pieces could be considered very intellectual, I suppose, but are also extremely accessible and nearly pastoral (appropriate for the coming winter months, I feel). They were written in 1950, right near the time he also composed "Dream" and "In a Landscape", both of which are also very tonal, strong melodically and nearly romantic. (I think "Six Melodies" is tonal -- I'm not "properly" studied in music terminology.)

Can anyone group any other compositions with these 3 regarding some of the characteristics I've mentioned ? I'd love to hear more in this style -- it's amazing when he composes in a more conventional way, because they remain fascinating in an "academic" sense, but also extremely human and unimposing. Very well done.

Cage's "String Quartet" from 1949/50 always sounded like a good companion to "Six Melodies" to me. If I remember right, both pieces are, in certain spots, pretty close to each other in regards of melodic material.

Yeah, good point. I forgot about that one. Coincidentally, I was listening to it last night, and didn't even think of this post I made. It's such an extraordinary piece.

Thanks.

[Notice Recordings]

Has anyone heard this ?

http://www.moderecords.com/catalog/041cage.html

[simon reynell]

yes, I know this cd. Not one of my favourites, though perhaps worth a listen.
I like 101 quite a bit, but it's only 12 minutes of the disc. The piano part is very busy and prominent, making it like a short and unusual piano concerto.
Apartment House is one of Cage's 'musicircus'-type pieces, where very different elements are jammed together into a single piece (traditional US hymns, spirituals & songs from other cultural traditions, instrumental fragments from eg Moravian church music, drum marches etc etc). It's 'interesting' for a single listen, but not one I go back to.
And there are several other much stronger versions of Ryoanji IMO. The use of an orchestra for this piece just doesn't work for me. I much prefer the chamber versions where individual instrumental voices are heard clearly. If you want it as more than a solo instrument + accompaniment (as it is usually played), then I think the version on HatArt for several soloists is far more successful. Now that's a lovely disc....

[J.F.]

I'd buy this CD again anytime only for the particularly version of Ryoanji. I think it works brilliantly with the orchestra.

I don't like Apartment House, but that's mostly because I tend to dislike certain singing styles featured there.
There's (been?) a version of this on dime which features Jeanne Lee among the singers. I yet have to hear that though.

I don't find 101 very interesting to listen to (though it's been a while I last heard it). There are certain number pieces for smaller ensembles I enjoy much more.

[Notice Recordings]

I would love to hear this CD, Orchestral Works 1.
Can you spell out the connections between this Apartment House with the vocals featured (interesting types of vocals, too, based on the notes), and the Harmonies taken from this piece and featured on the 2xCD release on Mode 144/45 ? I am surprised to see Apartment House described as one of his "musicircus"-type pieces, because I've only heard the version on Mode 144/45, which I love.

I am very much enamoured with the piece Ryoanji. I've heard the fantastic version on HatHut (the 20 min version, not this one : http://www.discogs.com/John-Cage-Ryoanji/release/818999 ... not sure to which one you were referring ...). According to Discogs, there are a lot more versions of this piece than I thought.
Then there is also this version ( http://www.discogs.com/John-Cage-Hildeg ... se/1422977 ), which I also haven't heard, and is intriguing, because it is grouped with some very mysterious compositions by Cage, and very dissimilar from much of his work.

[Notice Recordings]

I just heard the OgreOgress is releasing a audio-DVD containing 108, 109 and 110. Really looking forward to that. Every OgreOgress release I own stands out from all others in my John Cage collection.. Not as necessarily "better", but just different. Fantastic label.

[Notice Recordings]

I'd thoroughly recommend the Barton Workshop Plays John Cage. A 3-disc set that covers a wide range of Cage's compositional work. Though, maybe, the variations between tracks are too wide to make it a meditative listen, the longer tracks (Atlas Eclipticalis, Hymnkus, Music for 6, and Seven) are really good.

I finally got a hold of this 3-Disc set. I'm very impressed by the playing and recording of these pieces, and despite the span of time in which the pieces were composed, I find a nice consistency throughout, making it a very successful album. They tie things together well. Fantastic design, too. A wonderful package. As bedouin mentioned, the performances of Hymnkus and Atlas Eclipticalis are especially noteworthy. I also greatly enjoyed the clarinet pieces.

I would like to acquire the other Barton Workshop discs, all on the label "Megadisc", as they contain pieces in which I'm very interested. I love their instrumentations.
If anyone knows where I might purchases these, or is willing to sell their own, please contact me.
They are listed here : http://johncage.info/cdlabels/megadisc.html

Thanks

[bedouin]

Some great performances on the Cage/Steele LP "Obscure No. 5". particularly Carla Bley singing on "Forever And Sunsmell" and Richard Bernas piano on "In a Landscape". It can be downloaded here :
http://modisti.com/n10/?p=6394

I think someone mentioned the "Pavilion Of Dreams" disc on another thread recently, but this album, along with No.2 (Hobbs/Adams/Bryars) and No.7 (Penguin Cafe Orchestra) were my favorites on that label.

[Notice Recordings]

Some great performances on the Cage/Steele LP "Obscure No. 5". particularly Carla Bley singing on "Forever And Sunsmell" and Richard Bernas piano on "In a Landscape". It can be downloaded here :
http://modisti.com/n10/?p=6394

I think someone mentioned the "Pavilion Of Dreams" disc on another thread recently, but this album, along with No.2 (Hobbs/Adams/Bryars) and No.7 (Penguin Cafe Orchestra) were my favorites on that label.

By coincidence, I just found the "reissue" version of this, on Antilles. This is a *fantastic* album. Strange to see Cage grouped with recordings like these, on Side A. The performances of his pieces are very enjoyable, and Robert Wyatt's singing is extremely original and works well with the instrumentation and vocal arrangements of the pieces. "In a Landscape" is my favourite piece of music -- not only by Cage, but in general -- and I love the way it's played here.

The Steele side has such a strong identity. Very subtle, thick, viscous, and saturated with texture... Some remarkable players, as well.

Just a fantastic album, all around.

[Adrian]

on Another Timbre - Four4; fantastic!
At the moment listening to my only other Cage album. 'A Chance Operation: the John Cage Tribute' 2CD on Koch.

[Notice Recordings]

Does anyone know by chance if this is a Rowe painting ?

http://www.discogs.com/John-Cage-Music- ... se/2430090

[Notice Recordings]

These are being reissued, which is really wonderful :

· Ryoanji
[reissue of hatART 6183]
(Never heard such a long version of Ryoanji )

· Prelude For Meditation · H. Kleeb + R. Dahinden
[reissue of hatART 6129]

· Music Of Changes · David Tudor
[reissue of hat(now)ART 133]

Been wanting to hear those releases for quite some time.

[Richard Barrett]

there are several other much stronger versions of Ryoanji IMO. The use of an orchestra for this piece just doesn't work for me. I much prefer the chamber versions where individual instrumental voices are heard clearly.

The first volume in Mode's Cage series, which I don't think has come out on CD, was a double LP with three sides of Etudes Boréales played by Frances-Marie Uitti (cello) and on the fourth my favourite version of Ryoanji, with Isabelle Ganz (voice) and Michael Pugliese (percussion). My second choice though would be the orchestral version. No other music has ever made an orchestra sound like that. I'm lost in admiration of Cage's originality as a composer every time I hear it.

[Herb Levy]

Does anyone know by chance if this is a Rowe painting ?

http://www.discogs.com/John-Cage-Music- ... se/2430090

Heh. It's a detail of a Roy Lichtenstein painting.

[Notice Recordings]

Hah !

[Notice Recordings]

Does anyone know if there is a version of this with no German voice-overs ?
http://www.ubu.com/film/cage_birdcage.html

[yonhosago]

Does anyone know if there is a version of this with no German voice-overs ?
http://www.ubu.com/film/cage_birdcage.html

I think not

Helms, Hans G 1972. Birdcage: 73'20.958" for a Composer. Köln: Westdeutsches Fernsehen; Baden-Baden: Südwestfunk, television film, color, 73 minutes [FIRST Broadcast SWF October 23, 1972. Filmed April 3-May 4, 1972, New York and Albany, New York; includes excerpts from interview with Cage; working on Bird Cage, filmed in Albany, New York; Sonatas and Interludes [excerpt], performed by Maro Ajemian; footing taken from earlier films: St.-Paul de Vence 1966; and Donaueschingen 1954; conducting Concert for Piano and Orchestra, fall 1958 (Westdeutscher Rundfunk, Cologne) and of Donaueschingen 1954 performance; includes excerpts from tape-interview met Helms; realization in SUNY Albany Bird Cage (3 days). Features Cage performing Cheap Imitation (piano); + ballet rehearsal; April 19, 1972, St. Mark’s Church: 62 Mesostics re Merce Cunningham; during production of Mushroom Book, with Lois Long; performing Changes with Tudor Music of Changes; typen score Bird Cage; April 17, 1972, Winter Music [8' version for 18 pianists]; John Lennon and Yoko Ono visiting Cage; editing Nocturne with Paul Zukofsky] (references: Cage/De Vree 1980; Helms 1972).

http://www.xs4all.nl/~cagecomp/films.htm

[yonhosago]

News from Santiago, Chile

Please check our recent activities around one late Cage piece: Four6 and its solo version One7, superbly played by Edén Carrasco.

The music was played at a concert on saturday 28th of May, and recorded again last thursday.

You can see, read and listen here
http://www.arsomnis.com/artesmusicales/one7--four6/

[Notice Recordings]

Anyone heard this or have any thoughts on it ?

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Etcetera/KTC1429

Interesting pairing...