The roaring silence : John Cage : a life

John Cage has been described as the most important composer of our time. He combined classical European training with Eastern spirituality to produce an American amalgam of such vitality and originality that it continues to define what we mean by avant-garde. His influence has touched generations of artists, including Philip Glass, David Byrne, and his longtime collaborator Merce Cunningham. His work and ideas have influenced not only the world of music but also dance, painting, printmaking, video art, and poetry. The Roaring Silence documents his life in unrivaled detail, interweaving a close account of the evolution of his work with an exploration of his aesthetic and philosophical ideas, while placing these in the greater perspective of American life and letters. Paying due attention to Cage's inventions, such as the prepared piano, and his pioneering use of indeterminate notation and chance operations in composition (utilizing the I Ching), David Revill also illuminates Cage the performer, printmaker, watercolorist, expert amateur mycologist, game show celebrity, political anarchist, and social activist. Arnold Schoenberg once called Cage "not a composer, but an inventor--of genius." This revised edition presents never-before-seen correspondence between Cage and other luminaries of his day, as well as new analysis into his legacy. The Roaring Silence celebrates the life and work of this true American original [Publisher description]

John Cage has been described as the most important composer of our time. He combined classical European training with Eastern spirituality to produce an American amalgam of such vitality and originality that it continues to define what we mean by avant-garde. His influence has touched generations of artists, including Philip Glass, David Byrne, and his longtime collaborator Merce Cunningham. His work and ideas have influenced not only the world of music but also dance, painting, printmaking, video art, and poetry.

The Roaring Silence documents his life in unrivaled detail, interweaving a close account of the evolution of his work with an exploration of his aesthetic and philosophical ideas, while placing these in the greater perspective of American life and letters. Paying due attention to Cage’s inventions, such as the prepared piano, and his pioneering use of indeterminate notation and chance operations in composition (utilizing the I Ching), David Revill also illuminates Cage the performer, printmaker, watercolorist, expert amateur mycologist, game show celebrity, political anarchist, and social activist.

Arnold Schoenberg once called Cage 'not a composer, but an inventor-of genius.' This revised edition presents never-before-seen correspondence between Cage and other luminaries of his day, as well as new analysis into his legacy. The Roaring Silence celebrates the life and work of this true American original.

Intro; Title Page; Copyright; Dedication; Contents; Preface; Acknowledgments; Prelude; One (Before 1912) 3; Two (1912-1924); Three (1924-1930); Four (1930-1935); Five (1935-1938); Six (1938-1940); Seven (1940-1943); Eight (1943-1947); Nine (1948-1950); Ten (Zen); Eleven (1950-1952); Twelve (1952-1956); Thirteen (1957-1966); Fourteen (1967-1977); Fifteen (1977-1991); Sixteen (To 1992); Chronology of Musical Works; Selective Chronology of Visual Works; Notes; Bibliography; Index;John Cage was one of the most innovative and important composers of the twentieth century. He influenced not only contemporaries but also younger generations, including artists from Phillip Glass, Steve Reich, and Terry Riley to the Beatles, Brian Eno, Frank Zappa, Sonic Youth, and Radiohead. His work and ideas have reached beyond the world of music to dance, painting, video art, printmaking, and poetry, and he remains a defining force in the whole climate of contemporary culture. Among experimental artists of the twenty-first century, it would be difficult to list any not influenced by Cage. John Cage is considered one of the most important composers of the twentieth century. His work and ideas have influenced not only the world of music but also dance, painting, video art, printmaking and poetry, and he is a defining force in the whole climate of contemporary culture. The Roaring Silence was first published in 1992, intended to coincide with Cage's eightieth birthday. The first full-length biography of John Cage, it was written with his full cooperation. Now expanded and revised in the light of fresh reflections and new research, it documents Cage's life in unr David Revill is an English composer and writer whose music is presented worldwide (but particularly in Austria, Germany, and the United States). Besides The Roaring Silence, his involvement with Cage's work encompasses broadcasts, publications, and performances (including the world premiere of Muoyce 2 and One4 in Britain). He lives in Baltimore