There already exists two and a half sequels or responses to 4’33, 4’33 no. 2 (and an altered 4’33 no. 2) and One^3 = 4’33 + 0’00. They are responses corresponding with the interpretations critics had to 4’33 to effectively say that the critics misunderstood what 4’33 is about and that another piece of music could more effectively describe what they thought 4’33 meant. For instance when critics described 4’33 as being the audience or the things around them he made One^3 = 4’33 + 0’00. In that piece the sheet says and I quote "You should arrange the sound system so that the whole hall is just on the edge of feedback…not actually feeding back, but feeling like it might. No piano is necessary." Meaning this piece is more accurate to say is only the audio or music of the audience and the hall.
My favourite Cage quote is “The music never stops; only the listening”. For me, that elegantly short circuits all the tedious gatekeeping about “it’s not even music”, and centres the role of the perceiver as an active participant in making art.
I studied with Mark Robin Campbell (center article at 1:02) in graduate school and wrote my master's thesis on Cage's Third Construction - I think Cage had a lot to say and saying 4'33" is "nothing" is extremely reductive and I'm glad you're talking about it in a more subtle way.
A wonderful and thought-provoking video that is sure to open many people's eyes to the world of Cage and much deeper musical philosophy. I greatly appreciate the work and the love that you put into it! But I am not a fan of the somewhat clickbaity title. You start with this grand assumption that "most people" have a certain attitude towards this piece. Wikipedia would slap that with a "[weasel words]" and "[citation needed]". Who are these "most people"? You don't investigate. And with the title you presume that your viewers are just as ignorant or even hostile towards this wonderful piece of art. You should trust us more than that. Just share your love for a wonderful piece and a true milestone of 20th century art, we'll watch it anyway. ;-)
I cannot imagine still being a sleeping person who doesn't acknowledge the beauty and importance of something like 4'33''. It is a sad existence where your mind is still victim to anything society wants to push on you. 4'33'' is a way of accentuating how noisy and distressing our everyday lives can be; and challenges you to change that.
This kind of art is maybe not always completely unartful, but its promotion is a huge gateway to a destructive, delusional, nihilistic and banal decay of art. The pinnacle of this is when "artists" earn thousands by glueing a banana to a wall or by selling their feces in cans. This is what unartful people create when you show them the questionable kind of art i mentioned at the beginning. Its also a thing about how times, uniqueness of art and the artists thoughts and expressions change. 4'33 was unique back then and he clearly had put some thought into it. I cant say that about most post-modern music and especially abstract modern drawings, and I gave it many chances.
@@Alexander-oh8ry Though you have to admit, it's getting harder and harder to be original. Maybe glueing a banana to a wall is what it takes nowadays. Clearly, it had an impact on you, albeit just making you question the validity of modern art. What else should art be about?
It’s brushed off because it’s an insult to real art. If you don’t know what real, respectable art created by genuinely talented and gifted artists is, then don’t reply.
@@smuecke LOL! You know it's true, how nice. Modern art (same is applied to this nonsense piece by Cage) is basically a playground for people who wish they had real artistic talent but don't. Instead of mastering technique, composition, or storytelling like the greats of the past, they slap some random shapes on a canvas, call it "deep," and expect applause. It’s not creativity-it’s a shortcut for those who can’t paint a proper portrait or sculpt anything beyond a pile of junk welded together. And the worst part? The art world eats it up, pretending that a few scribbles or a white canvas with one painted red square are profound statements. It’s not genius; it’s just laziness wrapped in pretension.
@@MikeSmithMusicFilm I'm glad we have you as an authority on what "real art" is. Imagine enjoying something you like and then learning that it's worthless and pretentious crap, because it's not by "the greats". Glad you spared me the pain, Mike.
Were people like Cage sincere? Were people like Cage making a mockery of the scene and critics? In either case, you've offered disfavor to remind me that such exists. 🙃
Nu-uh. Nope. No. The lack of artistic work cannot be called an artistic work. I can understand if an absence comes unexpectedly, when it creates a contrast that can mean something, that leaves us with ringing silence in our ears, longing for some expected piece that was supposed to follow. But when it's declared and prepared in advance and that's the whole point, then it's just pretentious fluff. The point of it is just to shut up and experience the background, right?. Well, okay, i'll take that. But what is the role of the artist and their artistic work? What do we need them for here? To remind us of that and give us some space? I see it as just an f u to the academic mainstream, nothing more.
I agree, the video did not sufficiently make the point it set out to make, that this is somehow not pretentious. It is. For me the second layer to this is also that it's simply not that deep. Even if you "get" what the artists point is. It's about the same as Shepard Fairey making art with the most obvious and simple messages. It adds nothing.
@@ВалерийШадрин-л5г Part of their artistic work is that you wrote a lengthy comment about their piece 73 years after its creation 😂 for how many other pieces of art can you say the same?
Mate, art does not have a purpose, it does not need to make us feel anything in particular, yet it's pretty funny seeing you and a lot of people getting triggered by the simple idea of a completely silent song. Art is the expression of mankind, that being productive or not.
@poppintomfof John Cage's ideas with this work (and others) have changed how I appreciate and create art. And how many artists appreciate and create art. That is artistic innovation
If 4'33" is so good then where is 4'34"
There already exists two and a half sequels or responses to 4’33, 4’33 no. 2 (and an altered 4’33 no. 2) and One^3 = 4’33 + 0’00. They are responses corresponding with the interpretations critics had to 4’33 to effectively say that the critics misunderstood what 4’33 is about and that another piece of music could more effectively describe what they thought 4’33 meant. For instance when critics described 4’33 as being the audience or the things around them he made One^3 = 4’33 + 0’00. In that piece the sheet says and I quote "You should arrange the sound system so that the whole hall is just on the edge of feedback…not actually feeding back, but feeling like it might. No piano is necessary." Meaning this piece is more accurate to say is only the audio or music of the audience and the hall.
@@hermangrinden1283 So it's 4'33" 2: 2 The Squeakquel
To be fair, you have to be pretty intelligent to understand literal silence
If someone asks you “if you could listen to one song for the rest of your life what would it be?” tell them John Cage 4:33.
It was exactly what Hozier said in one of his interviews 😁
That was Hellen Keller’s favorite song
My favourite Cage quote is “The music never stops; only the listening”. For me, that elegantly short circuits all the tedious gatekeeping about “it’s not even music”, and centres the role of the perceiver as an active participant in making art.
I studied with Mark Robin Campbell (center article at 1:02) in graduate school and wrote my master's thesis on Cage's Third Construction - I think Cage had a lot to say and saying 4'33" is "nothing" is extremely reductive and I'm glad you're talking about it in a more subtle way.
-273 degrees, the absolute zero, where everything stops.
Is that stereotypically ultra-Gay voice near the end the actual voice of Cage?
A wonderful and thought-provoking video that is sure to open many people's eyes to the world of Cage and much deeper musical philosophy. I greatly appreciate the work and the love that you put into it!
But I am not a fan of the somewhat clickbaity title. You start with this grand assumption that "most people" have a certain attitude towards this piece. Wikipedia would slap that with a "[weasel words]" and "[citation needed]". Who are these "most people"? You don't investigate. And with the title you presume that your viewers are just as ignorant or even hostile towards this wonderful piece of art. You should trust us more than that. Just share your love for a wonderful piece and a true milestone of 20th century art, we'll watch it anyway. ;-)
Pretentious indeed!
Why bother when you can do nothing? Why did everyone bother?
Wow this comment section is extraordinary haha
So many angry people! And angry over what? Do they even know about any of John Cage's other work?
@@goldie819Irrelevant. This video is about 4,33, which is pretentious as all hell.
I cannot imagine still being a sleeping person who doesn't acknowledge the beauty and importance of something like 4'33''.
It is a sad existence where your mind is still victim to anything society wants to push on you.
4'33'' is a way of accentuating how noisy and distressing our everyday lives can be; and challenges you to change that.
The irony of this comment is... I dont know if its hilarious or sad
This kind of art is maybe not always completely unartful, but its promotion is a huge gateway to a destructive, delusional, nihilistic and banal decay of art. The pinnacle of this is when "artists" earn thousands by glueing a banana to a wall or by selling their feces in cans. This is what unartful people create when you show them the questionable kind of art i mentioned at the beginning.
Its also a thing about how times, uniqueness of art and the artists thoughts and expressions change. 4'33 was unique back then and he clearly had put some thought into it. I cant say that about most post-modern music and especially abstract modern drawings, and I gave it many chances.
@@Alexander-oh8ry Though you have to admit, it's getting harder and harder to be original. Maybe glueing a banana to a wall is what it takes nowadays. Clearly, it had an impact on you, albeit just making you question the validity of modern art. What else should art be about?
Somebody really trying to bring Nazi degenerate art theory back huh
Alexander, do you know you're promoting a fascist ideology of "dangerous" art, or are you doing it accidentally?
@@goldie819 I'm glad the honest Marxist-Leninsts among us would never censor counterrevolutionary, dangerous art.
@@goldie819 lmao what? Are there some arguments along with that accusation?
All the experiences people who brush stuff like this off as non-art are missing out on..
It’s brushed off because it’s an insult to real art. If you don’t know what real, respectable art created by genuinely talented and gifted artists is, then don’t reply.
@MikeSmithMusicFilm 😂 Thanks for the demonstration.
@@smuecke LOL! You know it's true, how nice. Modern art (same is applied to this nonsense piece by Cage) is basically a playground for people who wish they had real artistic talent but don't. Instead of mastering technique, composition, or storytelling like the greats of the past, they slap some random shapes on a canvas, call it "deep," and expect applause. It’s not creativity-it’s a shortcut for those who can’t paint a proper portrait or sculpt anything beyond a pile of junk welded together. And the worst part? The art world eats it up, pretending that a few scribbles or a white canvas with one painted red square are profound statements. It’s not genius; it’s just laziness wrapped in pretension.
@@MikeSmithMusicFilm I'm glad we have you as an authority on what "real art" is. Imagine enjoying something you like and then learning that it's worthless and pretentious crap, because it's not by "the greats". Glad you spared me the pain, Mike.
Intellectual or even philosophical approach to postmodernism always fail.
Were people like Cage sincere? Were people like Cage making a mockery of the scene and critics?
In either case, you've offered disfavor to remind me that such exists. 🙃
Nu-uh. Nope. No. The lack of artistic work cannot be called an artistic work.
I can understand if an absence comes unexpectedly, when it creates a contrast that can mean something, that leaves us with ringing silence in our ears, longing for some expected piece that was supposed to follow. But when it's declared and prepared in advance and that's the whole point, then it's just pretentious fluff.
The point of it is just to shut up and experience the background, right?. Well, okay, i'll take that. But what is the role of the artist and their artistic work? What do we need them for here? To remind us of that and give us some space?
I see it as just an f u to the academic mainstream, nothing more.
Bingo!
'nu-uh. nope. no'. What an insightful and intelligent response.
I agree, the video did not sufficiently make the point it set out to make, that this is somehow not pretentious. It is.
For me the second layer to this is also that it's simply not that deep. Even if you "get" what the artists point is. It's about the same as Shepard Fairey making art with the most obvious and simple messages. It adds nothing.
@@ВалерийШадрин-л5г Part of their artistic work is that you wrote a lengthy comment about their piece 73 years after its creation 😂 for how many other pieces of art can you say the same?
Mate, art does not have a purpose, it does not need to make us feel anything in particular, yet it's pretty funny seeing you and a lot of people getting triggered by the simple idea of a completely silent song. Art is the expression of mankind, that being productive or not.
Nice video. 4'33'' is still as radical as ever.
4'33" was an amazing innovation in art
You are confusing evolutionary simplification of form with innovation
@poppintomfof John Cage's ideas with this work (and others) have changed how I appreciate and create art. And how many artists appreciate and create art. That is artistic innovation
this was hard to watch, the background misic gave me a headache unfortunately