Dear Michael, It is possible that John Cage achieved something as a composer, but, if he did, it has escaped me. Cutting strings, performing in silence, and all those other sad gimmicks are utterly abhorrent. No doubt he is making some clever, meaningful point, as purport the forlorn heaps of modern art junk which clutter the Tate Gallery in London, but I hate it. It is anti-music, anti-art, anti-culture, anti-everything to which genuine musicians aspire, and as such, it is thoroughly worthless.
Best wishes, Stewart. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Michael Stitt" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, December 18, 2003 9:39 PM Subject: John Cage on Lute > > Does any one know whether John Cage wrote for the lute in his life time? > > I heard something about a contemporary composer who wrote a Passaicialle where after each return of the bass motif, a course was cut with sizzors until all strings were no more. Then silence.
