No Such Thing as Silence: John Cage's 4'33" (Icons of America)

Gann, Kyle

ISBN 10: 0300136994 / ISBN 13: 9780300136999

Published by Yale University Press, 2010

About this Item

B American History. This regular size hardcover is new in a new dj. White spine with lines and red title.

Seller Inventory # Jan 3-25-3

Bibliographic Details

• Title: No Such Thing as Silence: John Cage's 4'33" (Icons of America)
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0300136994
• ISBN 13: 9780300136999
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

First performed at the midpoint of the twentieth century, John Cage's "4'33"", a composition conceived of without a single musical note, is among the most celebrated and ballyhooed cultural gestures in the history of modern music. A meditation on the act of listening and the nature of performance, Cage's controversial piece became the iconic statement of the meaning of silence in art and is a landmark work of American music. In this book, Kyle Gann, one of the nation's leading music critics, explains "4'33"" as a unique moment in American culture and musical composition. Finding resemblances and resonances of "4'33"" in artworks as wide-ranging as the paintings of the Hudson River School and the music of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, he provides much-needed cultural context for this fundamentally challenging and often misunderstood piece. Gann also explores Cage's craft, describing in illuminating detail the musical, philosophical, and even environmental influences that informed this groundbreaking piece of music. Having performed "4'33"" himself and as a composer in his own right, Gann offers the reader both an expert's analysis and a highly personal interpretation of Cage's most divisive work.

About the Author

Kyle Gann is Associate Professor of Music at Bard College, a composer, and former new-music critic for the Village Voice.