John Cage – Silence as music?

 

The moment I realized there won’t be any sounds included in John Cage’s play 4’33, I felt confused. My instinctive, immediate reaction was to think of the play’s intention, rather than just listening to the entire play. Hence, I came to the conclusion that basically everything can be considered music, even silence. John Cage probably wanted to extend people’s perception of music, and hence made them think about silence more intensive. I listened to the play around five times in total, and the play sounded differently every single time; reason for that were my roommates’ noises, the noises coming from the street, or my own movements that caused slight sounds. Honestly, this fact annoyed me, and I even tried to isolate myself from all sounds that could possibly “irritate” me by covering my ears. As a result, I could not get rid off an earworm when I listened to it the next time. Long story short: Personally, I did not enjoy the play, because I perceived it stressful and in some way dissatisfying.

What was really interesting, however, was the fact that the atmosphere in the hall appeared very intense. The musicians were all very focused, although they probably knew that they were simply dummies, and for the purpose of an authentic stage setting only. I started to think of what I would do if I attended the play’s premiere. People potentially paid a lot of money to listen to silence, which I could also do at home for free. However, it is undeniable that the setting creates a special atmosphere that leaves the audience astounded. Personally, I would have most likely reacted impatient and puzzled. I do appreciate and respect the intentions of this play, but in my opinion, silence cannot be equated with music.

Obviously, I can only speak for myself, but for me, music contains of sounds, rhythm, melody, and harmony – something I hear and subconsciously consider music. I realize that it is very difficult to precisely put that into words. I like to connect music to something, be it emotions, a certain experience, bad or good. Music has to be enjoyable. Almost every song I listen to receives a certain response from me, because the sounds that I hear can be referred to something. This response happens unconsciously. In John Cage’s 4’33, I was actively, and desperately trying so search for a deeper meaning, and did not instinctively receive any special feeling, because for me, silence has not (yet) been connected with music. I definitely do respect people that are fascinated by this play, and there are certainly people that dislike my taste of music. Nevertheless, John Cage’s 4’33 is not compatible with my understanding of music.