John Cage - 4'33'': No music, still music?

I went into this experience with very few expectations. The examples of avant-garde music I heard before made me expect some instruments I have never experienced before in an orchestra. Of course, there examples of bizarre music which strikes one's mind with images, feelings and associations while listening. Personally, I often find these not that enjoyable and see their value in their contribution to art as a whole by filling in a gap. In this special case, I am quite sure that someone has already had the idea of creating music without any sounds; just as there books without any words, just blank pages.

At first, the whole setting did not seem any special at all. An orchestra in front of an audience is the most usual thing someone could think of when talking about music. Personally, I still felt some tension building up because no one was talking or making any noise. I kept thinking that the music would be absolutely extraordinary since they are probably mentally preparing themselves, but at some point I realized: There will not be anything to be heard. I was not disappointed; rather, I felt uncomfortable watching this situation. It raised the same feeling of unease as a conversation in which someone laughs and then nobody knows what to say next so both begin to breathe quietly to show that they are passive and await an action. 

Unfortunately, there was no relief. This made me first think of Cage's intentions behind 4'33'', but the philosophical question of whether this can be seen as music quickly took over. To give a short answer: No, I do not think so. Why do I think so? First, music has always been something that has to be experienced by listening to sounds which we as human beings need our ears for. Even by raising it up to a very abstract level like Cage does, the thing itself (music) cannot another thing other than what it is in its essence. Second and even more important to describe 4'33'', a core element in this experience was the audience. I could only hear coughing while everyone tried to be as quiet as possible. Such interaction between stage performance and audience fits a lot better into the definition of a play.