John Cage - Variations VII

 

« It is a piece of music, Variations VII, indeterminate in form

and detail, making use of the sound system which has been

devised collectively for this festival, further making use of

modulation means organized by David Tudor, using as sound

sources only those sounds which are in the air at the moment

of performance, picked up via the communication bands,

telephone lines, microphones together with, instead of musical

instruments, a variety of household appliances,

and frequency generators. »

Much has been said about John Cage's music - a father of modern composition whose techniques and analyses has been used and inspiring for generations of musicians.

Here we have some of the finest musicians who have taken part in the recording directly or indirectly blending in the the whole conceptual aspects of the work. The 6 participants present decided to use Andrew Culver’s IC and TIC programmes, that to help the chance operations similar that Cage used himself from 1951 till he passed away.

The whole recording is a gimmick, an interplay of an impulse and inspiration with the rules given and showcasing a merged intellectual forces. What does it leave us with? A question? An impression?