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John Cage recital set to last 639 years recently witnessed a chord change

(www.spectator.co.uk)
218 points pseudolus | 9 comments | 31 Mar 25 15:10 UTC | HN request time: 0.001s | source | bottom
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gweinberg ◴[03 Apr 25 16:15 UTC] No.43571891[source]▶
It doesn't make sense to me that the piece should start with a 17 month rest. Surely it doesn't really start until the first note is played?
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kbutler ◴[03 Apr 25 16:24 UTC] No.43572008[source]▶
In a live orchestra performance, the conductor raises his hands. The audience quiets in anticipation.

He gives an up tick indicating the beginning of the music, then the downbeat of the start of the first measure.

No sound is heard.

The conductor continues to mark time. The silence is deep...profound.

The conductor continues to mark the time of the passing measures.

The audience listens.

At some point, positive sound breaks the silence - suddenly, loudly destroying the stillness! Or possibly very nearly silently - at the uncertain threshold of perception, the audible music begins...

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lazystar ◴[03 Apr 25 16:32 UTC] No.43572127[source]▶
> the audible music begins...

right, so it begins when the music starts playing?

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1. throwway120385 ◴[03 Apr 25 16:36 UTC] No.43572183[source]▶
The experience begins when the conductor starts marking time.
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2. bigstrat2003 ◴[03 Apr 25 16:45 UTC] No.43572314[source]▶
That's like saying "my meal begins from the time I start driving to the restaurant". It's just not true.
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3. malcolmgreaves ◴[03 Apr 25 16:54 UTC] No.43572423[source]▶
Incorrect. A rest is as important to music as a note.
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4. hinkley ◴[03 Apr 25 16:57 UTC] No.43572474{3}[source]▶
Found the jazz musician :)
5. p_j_w ◴[03 Apr 25 17:24 UTC] No.43572818[source]▶
It’s more like saying your meal begins when you sit down at the table, which is a proposition that a lot of people would agree with.
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6. dontlikeyoueith ◴[03 Apr 25 17:57 UTC] No.43573192[source]▶
It's nothing like that, but you're entitled to be confused and wrong.
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7. dontlikeyoueith ◴[03 Apr 25 17:58 UTC] No.43573199{3}[source]▶
Certainly every chef-run fine dining restaurant would agree with that.
8. bmacho ◴[03 Apr 25 18:21 UTC] No.43573469{3}[source]▶
Technically it's okay to be confused and wrong, but it is not really okay to be vocal about it. It just steals people's time. Maybe it is deliberate trolling, how should we know? Better to be moderated out
9. jacobgkau ◴[03 Apr 25 18:37 UTC] No.43573642[source]▶
There doesn't seem to be a conductor at all in this performance, and there certainly wasn't one for the entire 17 months that the rest lasted. (The person in charge of this project, Rainer Neugebauer, is not conducting; the linked article makes mention of a speech before the note was changed, but nothing about marking time.)

Not that I'd expect a conductor to be needed for a soloist performance, but it makes the whole "when the conductor raises his hands" point a little off-topic.