Composition in Retrospect

by John Cage

Written in his characteristic "mesostics" (linked lines of prose poetry), Composition in Retrospect is a statement of methodology in which composer John Cage examines the central issues of his work: Indeterminacy, nonunderstanding, inconsistency, imitation, variable structure, contingency. Finished only shortly before his death in 1992, Composition in Retrospect completes the documentation of Cage's thought that began with his classic book Silence (1961), but it is an introduction and invitation to his work as much as a summary or conclusion. Also included in this volume (at Cage's request) is "Themes and Variations," a piece written in 1982 about friends and heroes such as Jasper Johns, Buckminster Fuller, Marcel Duchamp and Erik Satie. Together these pieces form a book that is both a testament to the artists Cage admired and a clear statement of his own ars poetica.
John Cage (1912-1992) was an American composer, writer, artist and mycologist. Having studied with Arnold Schonberg (who proclaimed him "not a composer, but an inventor-of genius") and Henry Cowell in the 30s, Cage went on to devise landmark compositions for percussion and prepared piano before making his hugely influential work 4'33" (1952). Later works privileged composition by chance procedure--"imitating Nature in the manner of her operation"--and the use of ambient noise, electronics and tape manipulation. Cage's influence can be seen in the works of countless composers (especially the New York School "group" of Morton Feldman, Christian Wolff and Earle Brown), artists (such as those affiliated with Fluxus) and writers.

Genres: Poetry, Music, Art

172 pages, Paperback

First published June 28, 1993

About the author

John Milton Cage Jr. was an American composer, philosopher, poet, music theorist, artist, printmaker, and amateur mycologist and mushroom collector. A pioneer of chance music, electronic music and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading figures of the post-war avant-garde. Critics have lauded him as one of the most influential American composers of the 20th century. He was also instrumental in the development of modern dance, mostly through his association with choreographer Merce Cunningham, who was also Cage's romantic partner for most of their lives.

Cage is perhaps best known for his 1952 composition 4′33″, the three movements of which are performed without a single note being played. The content of the composition is meant to be perceived as the sounds of the environment that the listeners hear while it is performed, rather than merely as four minutes and thirty three seconds of silence, and the piece became one of the most controversial compositions of the 20th century. Another famous creation of Cage's is the prepared piano (a piano with its sound altered by placing various objects in the strings), for which he wrote numerous dance-related works and a few concert pieces, the best known of which is Sonatas and Interludes (1946–48).

His teachers included Henry Cowell (1933) and Arnold Schoenberg (1933–35), both known for their radical innovations in music and coincidentally their shared love of mushrooms, but Cage's major influences lay in various Eastern cultures. Through his studies of Indian philosophy and Zen Buddhism in the late 1940s, Cage came to the idea of chance-controlled music, which he started composing in 1951. The I Ching, an ancient Chinese classic text on changing events, became Cage's standard composition tool for the rest of his life. In a 1957 lecture, Experimental Music, he described music as "a purposeless play" which is "an affirmation of life – not an attempt to bring order out of chaos nor to suggest improvements in creation, but simply a way of waking up to the very life we're living".

Reviews

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my first foray into Cage's mesostics - and really, any doubt I had over whether this was the same composer of works like 4'33" was gone by the time I'd read a few pages. It was difficult, for me, to overcome the mid-word capitalizations; it distracted me, but then again I also wondered whether that was an intentional sort of focus on the capitalized word.

I'd really like to hear Theme and Variations spoken. It was interesting measuring my progress against the timestamps given, and I'd rather wished I could hear it at that pace instead of the inevitably different one I was reading at.

Overall, I liked it well enough, but not exceptionally. Perhaps I'll come re-read this sometime, and see how it is on a second go.

[Gary Crossey · Rating 1 out of 5]

I do hope that the book club meeting (that I read this book for) will add some insight.
From beginning to end, I felt like I had fragments to deal with. Not sure if the parts were meant to connect or not.

Did I connect with any of this book beyond a few lines? No.

"The music is there
Before it is written"

Perhaps the poem isn't there after it is written.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, however it did get a bit tiring with constant capitalisation of the middle words in the sentence. I can appreciate the experimentalism and artistic merit a piece like this has, and I loved the poetry so much, however the capitals really were a downside by the end.

Still great though 🤩

[danielle; ▵ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the first part but I couldn’t make the second part work as well for me (it was better read aloud though)