John Cage recital set to last 639 years recently witnessed a chord change
In Halberstadt, Germany, 500 attendees witnessed a chord change to D natural in John Cage's 639-year performance of ORGAN2/ASLSP, emphasizing the avant-garde nature of his work and time's exploration.
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In Halberstadt, Germany, a unique event attracted around 500 attendees who traveled to witness a chord change in John Cage's avant-garde piece, ORGAN2/ASLSP, which is set to last 639 years. The performance began in 2001, with the first chord played in 2003 after a 17-month pause. The organ, designed specifically for this piece, operates continuously through a system of sandbags that maintain pressure on the pedals, eliminating the need for a human organist. The latest chord change involved a transition to a D natural, marking a significant moment in this lengthy performance. The event highlights the intersection of art, time, and the unconventional nature of Cage's work, prompting reflections on the purpose and experience of such an extended musical endeavor.
- The organ performance of ORGAN2/ASLSP is designed to last 639 years, starting in 2001.
- The latest chord change to D natural attracted 500 attendees to Halberstadt.
- The organ operates continuously using a sandbag system to maintain pedal pressure.
- The performance emphasizes the avant-garde nature of John Cage's music and its exploration of time.
- The event raises questions about the nature of art and the experience of long-duration performances.
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- Some commenters appreciate the long-term commitment to art and creativity, likening it to historical projects like cathedral building.
- Critics argue that the performance is not as impressive as other long-term art projects, such as the Long Now Foundation's 10,000-year clock.
- There are discussions about the nature of the performance, including the significance of the long rests and the concept of "as slow as possible."
- Some express a desire for more innovative and engaging art in the world today.
- Comments reflect a broader skepticism towards contemporary art, with some feeling disconnected from its value and relevance.
28 commentsIt's a pretty hopeful, optimistic view of the future in a time of high uncertainty, but also represents a positive argument: it's worth doing these things because they are interesting, weird, and fun, and because they represent a continuity with past and future people we will never meet.
Plus, you can already buy a ticket to the finale, so your distant descendants can go see it :)
I wish there was more stuff like this, both in my feed and in the world.
Man, that was wild.
"Both Fuller and Marshall McLuhan knew, furthermore, that work is now obsolete. We have invented machines to do it for us. Now that we have no need to do anything what shall we do? Looking at Fuller's Geodesic World Map we see that the earth is a single island. Oahu. We must give all the people all they need to live in any way they wish. Our present laws protect the rich from the poor. If there are to be laws we need ones that begin with the acceptance of poverty as a way of life. We must make the earth safe for poverty without dependence on government."
https://monoskop.org/images/9/9c/Cage_John_Anarchy_New_York_... (PDF)
A shorter read here:
https://www.themarginalian.org/2015/09/15/john-cage-silence-...
Longplayer: a one-thousand year long composition
And, you know, power outages.
I kinda get that -- the 40000 Hz podcast gave it some good context:
https://podcasts.apple.com/fr/podcast/433-by-john-cage-twent...
Maybe they'll also explain the point of this. The piece is called "As Slow As Possible", but it's not as slow as possible. The slowest possible piece would have a fermata with an infinity sign over the first note, and that's it. Maybe the rest of it would be a jaunty little tune that would never be played in context. ("Shave and a haircut", perhaps?)
As a stunt, it's moderately interesting. How do you set up a contraption to play for hundreds of years? How do you maintain it without interrupting the performance? But it's less interesting than the 10,000 year clock.
I find the subject mildly interesting, but the paywalled internet is just another sign of end stage capitalism...
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ASLAP is a 1,000-year animated GIF art project by Juha van Ingen, initiated in 2017, exploring themes of eternity and digital decay, with ongoing preservation efforts and NFT releases planned.
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In 1992, a university student built a pipe organ from scratch, evolving the design with a wind chest and valve system, ultimately creating a playable instrument with improved sound control and usability.
Chimes at Midnight (2024)
The Clock of the Long Now, initiated in 1989, aims to last 10,000 years, promoting long-term thinking about humanity's future through unique chimes and contributions from various artists and thinkers.
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