The only critical comment appropriate for me would be pointing out that "4'33" and
its variants are not a "silent piece" but, in truth, a noise piece, whose subject is an
appreciation of all the unanticipated, indeterminate sounds within the frame of its
predetermined length. The esthetic point behind this classic example of what came to
be called Conceptual Art is that unintended noise can be accepted as music. Later works
by Cage and others develop this theme.

This emphasis upon noise, not silence, accounts for why Cage himself repeatedly referred
to his "so-called silent piece," conceding to everyone else's parlence. Nonetheless, I find
that people speaking of Cage's "silent piece" nowadays implicitly indicate that they're not
gotten far in Cagean understanding. Another similar Cagean illiteracy, though not so
common is identifying my CONVERSING WITH CAGE as "edited" by me. It's not for
reasons noted in the epigraph from Cage himself at the beginning of that book.

© 2003 - Richard Kostelanetz

EPIGRAPH - by John Cage

ADDENDUM - by Hammond Guthrie