TitleJohn Cage: Ode to gravity (Radio program) on WNYC
Additional title: Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation CollectionAdditional title: Ode to gravity (Radio program)
NamesMerce Cunningham Dance Company (Associated name)Amirkhanian, Charles (Interviewee)Amirkhanian, Charles (Host)Amirkhanian, Charles (Radio producer)Cage, John (Interviewee)Cage, John (Musical director)Cage, John (Speaker)Ganz, Isabelle (Singer)Harrison, Lou, 1917-2003 (Composer)Pugliese, Michael (Instrumentalist)Riehn, Rainer (Conductor)Wyatt, Robert (Singer)Cage, John (Composer)Ensemble Musica Negativa (Performer)Manhattan Percussion Ensemble (Performer)KPFA (Radio station : Berkeley, Calif.) (Broadcaster)WNYC (Radio station : New York, N.Y.) (Broadcaster)
CollectionMerce Cunningham Dance Foundation Collection. Audio materials
Dates / OriginDate Created: 1987-12-12
Library locationsRodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded SoundShelf locator: *LTC-A 1434
TopicsCage, JohnAvant-garde (Music)Modern dance musicMusique concrètePercussion musicVocalises with instrumental ensembleSound quality is mostly good; there is background recording sounds at the end of streaming file 4Cage, John. Double musicCage, John. Europera. Nos. 1-2Cage, John. Experiences, no. 2Cage, John. Literary works. SelectionsCage, John. Ryoanji
Genresspoken wordRadio programsInterviews
NotesStatement of responsibility: produced and hosted by Charles Amirkhanian.Content: Contains the Ode to gravity radio program featuring John Cage, originally broadcast on WNYC on December 12, 1987.Content: Title, date and location provided by cataloger based on handwritten notes on original cassettes, audition, and information provided by the Internet Archive.Content: Handwritten notes on original cassettes: "WNYC ; New York, NY ; Ode to Gravity ; John Cage ; Tape I and Tape II ; Dolby".Performers: Manhattan Percussion Ensemble, directed by John Cage; Musica Negativa, conducted by Rainer Riehn; Michael Pugliese, percussion, and Isabell Ganz, mezzo-soprano; Robert Wyatt, singer.Venue: Broadcast on WNYC radio, New York, New York, [1987 December 12].Acquisition: Gift; Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation, 2011-2012.
Physical DescriptionAudiocassetteExtent: 2 audiocassettes (115 minutes total) : analogSound quality is mostly good; there is background recording sounds at the end of streaming file 4.
DescriptionStreaming file 1, side 1: Program host, Charles Amirkhanian introduces John Cage; Cage and Lou Harrison's Double music (1941) played by the Manhattan Percussion Ensemble under Cage's direction, ca. 0:00-6:30; Amirkhanian gives a brief description of Cage's background and compositional style, including the influences of Henry Cowell, Arnold Schoenberg and Zen Buddhism, ca. 6:31-8:49; Amirkhanian introduces the interview he conducted with Cage at Davies Symphony Hall in 1983, ca. 8:50-9:29; Cage speaks about the confluence of inspirations from filmmaker Oskar Fischinger in the mid to late 1930's, and later, Zen Buddhism, that lead him to explore percussion, vibrational sounds, and environmental sounds, ca. 10:33-14:16; Cage speaks briefly about his Credo in US (1942), composed for a dance of the same title choreographed by Merce Cunningham and Jean Erdman, ca. 14:35-16:00; Credo in US played by Ensemble Musica Negativa, conducted by Rainer Riehn, ca. 16:11-32:22; Amirkhanian introduces Cage's Ryoanji (1983), ca. 32:23-34:32; Ryoanji played by Michael Pugliese with Isabelle Ganz, singer, ca. 34:33-44:21; ends abruptly.
Streaming file 2, side 2: Begins abruptly, continuation of Ryoanji played by Michael Pugliese with Isabelle Ganz, singer, ca. 0:00-11:54; Amirkhanian gives recording information on Ryoanji, briefly speaks about the preparations for the premiere of Cage's Europeras nos. 1 and 2 (1987), and gives an overview of the remainder of the program, ca. 11:57-13:40; the second hour of the program begins, Amirkhanian gives an overview of the remainder of the program, ca. 14:01-14:44; Experiences No. 2 (1945-1948) performed by Robert Wyatt on the album, Jan Steele/John Cage: Voices and Instruments (1976), ca. 14:45-19:31; Amirkhanian gives recording information on Experiences No. 2, and introduces Cage's talk at the Speaking of Music series on January 8, 1987, on his Europeras nos. 1 and 2, ca. 19:32-20:30; Cage speaks about his Europeras nos. 1 and 2, his plans for the premiere program notes, and reads some of the opera's found text - collaged from opera synopses - used in the work, ca. 20:31-29:02; Amirkhanian speaks about the Frankfurt Opera House, the location of the Europeras nos. 1 and 2 premiere, ca. 29:03-30:26; continuing excerpt from Cage's talk at the Speaking of Music series, Cage speaks about his use of the Frankfurt Opera House, ca. 30:26-32:40; Cage speaks about his inventor father, John Milton Cage, Sr., ca. 32:41-37:45; in response to a question about current events in China, Cage tells a personal anecdote, ca. 37:46-39:19; Amirkhanian introduces a recording of Cage reading from his diary, How to Improve the World (You will only make matters worse) (1966), [at Cage's MusiCircus event on November 21, 1969], ca. 39:20-40:11; Cage reads an excerpt from his diary, How to Improve the World (You will only make matters worse), part 2 (1966), ca. 40:12-44:41; ends abruptly.
Streaming file 3, side 3: Begins abruptly, a continuation of John Cage reading an excerpt from his How to Improve the World (You will only make matters worse), part 2 (1966), ca. 0:00-16:24; ends abruptly.
Streaming file 4, side 4: Begins abruptly, a continuation of John Cage reading an excerpt from his How to Improve the World (You will only make matters worse), part 2 (1966), ca. 0:00-7:04; Amirkhanian gives recording information on Cage's diary excerpt and concludes the Ode to gravity program, ca. 7:06-8:46.
Type of ResourceSound recording
LanguagesEnglish
IdentifiersRLIN/OCLC: 914904268NYPL catalog ID (B-number): b20751145Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): a8204bf0-b90d-0133-f209-60f81dd2b63c
Rights StatementThis item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
Item timeline of events
-
-
-
