John Cage (Ex)Plain

by Richard Kostelanetz

No composer was more controversial, prolific, or more misunderstood than John Cage (1912-1992). No critic has spent more years defending Cage and his work than Richard Kostelanetz. This work summarizes a lifetime's study of Cage's music, literary works, art, and philosophy. It both introduces Cage to the neophyte and offers valuable insights for the seasoned listener.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Art

194 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice overview of some of Cage's major pieces by one of his better documentarians. It's true, Richard Kostelanetz is one of the best analysts of Cage's work -- just ask him! Throughout the book, he pontificates endlessly about how so-and-so doesn't get it, this book was hilarious inadequate, and so on. Which is all likely true -- as the back cover blurb notes, few modern composers have had as much gibberish written about them as Cage -- but after a while, it gets pretty tiresome. Also, if Kostelanetz is to be believed, nearly all other writings about Cage should be avoided due to inaccuracies or lack of sensitivity to the subject -- way to corner the market! He does seem to have some sympathy for Kyle Gann's writings on Cage, and I'm reading Gann's "No Such Thing As Silence" next, so hopefully these two can lock arms and skip away into the sunset.

Longer than Cliff's notes, shorter than "The Roaring Silence," and much shorter than "The Music of John Cage," this gave some very solid structural backbone to hang further Cage readings on. I also really enjoyed the last few sections, in which a Cage retrospective, held right after his dead, is decimated as a complete inversion of Cage's methodology, and the afterword, in which a large, indoor track-and-field event is discovered to be more Cagean than anything. This wasn't a be-all, end-all book on Cage, but I'm very glad I read it.

[Onsetsu Evan Cordes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great overview of John Cage's works, primarily.