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Re: blowing up boulez & cage



hey

perhaps as an addendum to this whole boulez burning controversy (i actually 
think the project is funny and sounds like an enjoyable process, but enjoy 
french stuff and am not a fascist - although i am an american and some 
people might try to make comparisons, perhaps, with the way world events are 
), maybe john cage should be added to the bonfire - and perhaps angry 
americans can burn boulez and angry french people can burn cage. the reason 
i mention cage is in the peter greenaway video '4 american composers: john 
cage', where towards the end cage states:

"i don't myself use records, and i give the example of someone who lives 
happily without records ... it's not really useful [to use records] at all, 
it merely destroys one's need for real music, it substitutes artificial 
music for real music and makes people think that they're engaging in a 
musical activity when they're actually not. and it has completely distorted 
and turned upside down the function of music in anyone's experience."

he then relates some interesting anecdotes to illustrate his point... so he 
doesn't offer a dictate telling people to destroy anything, but he 
definitely has a distaste for the medium... anyways, i have heard here and 
there that cage has perhaps one of that largest discographies of any 
composer... i am not sure if this is a substantiated, but any search on the 
web will turn up good many. i have a feeling though that the action of 
destroying works feels a bit more cage-ian than boulez-ian...

another notable burner: yoko ono. apparently on the flap to her notable book 
of poetry and art actions, 'Grapefruit', is written:

[paraphrased]
"burn this book after you've read it"  - y. ono
"this is best book i've ever burned"  -j. lennon

(i don't actually have the book, but have seen this)

anyways. hope this adds more fuel to the fire :>}
adam

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