Essays and posts on various musical subjects
My good friend Richard Karpen recently asked me to write the notes for an upcoming NEUMA Records release of two of his compositions: Elliptic (Strandlines II) and Aperture II.
Written and directed by Richard Karpen Read More »
[Notes for the Neuma CD release of Richard Karpen’s Elliptic (Strandlines II) and Aperture II, performed by The Six Tones and JACK Quartet] Strandlines are the delicate results of immense forces. The ocean moves back and forth under the influence of the gravitational interaction between the Earth and the Moon. The water creeps up the sandy incline of
Richard Karpen: Processes universal and human Read More »
Article describing David Tudor’s version for amplified piano of John Cage’s “Variations II” and how this could be considered more Tudor’s composition than Cage’s.
David Tudor’s realization of John Cage’s Variations II Read More »
Here are some of my writings, mostly about John Cage, but some about other musical subjects, plus some poetry and stories. Table of contents Music: John Cage List of works Specific pieces General Other music On writing about music Poems & other texts Music: John Cage List of works A chronological listing of all the
“John Cage was a composer: this is the premise from which everything in this book follows.” Twenty years ago I opened my book on the music of John Cage with this strong statement. There were field marks by which I identified Cage as a composer, and I learned them by studying “the other subject” of my book.
What is a composer? Who is she? Read More »
