At 2/7/2005 12:06 PM, Andrew Stiller wrote:

>>  To those who assert that music is a purely cultural phenomenon, I
>>  would point out that this idea has been put to the test, quite
>>  rigorously, by John Cage, who insisted that any sounds or combination
>>  of sounds could be construed as music if one merely had the will to do
>>  so, and spent 40 years of his life composing music on precisely that
>>  principle. Was this music as successful (moving, exciting, attractive)
>>  as other musics? Could other music, composed on the same principle, be
>>  more successful?
>>
>>  No, and no.

>DFenton's response:

>You have scientific proof that Cage was wrong?

The first question: "Was this (Cage's) music as successful (moving, exciting, attractive) as other musics?"

I don't see how anyone can argue a yes answer to this question. The "scientific proof" would be that pretty much no one has ever heard of him (outside of academic music people).

The second question: "Could other music, composed on the same principle, be more successful?"

I suppose "no" is a little hypothetical.

If the second question had been: "Has other music, composed on the same principle, been more successful?"

The answer would be "NO".

Phil Daley          < AutoDesk >
http://www.conknet.com/~p_daley




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