9W][WdIjhkYjkh[i B_pAejp ?dÇBeea_d]Coi[b\_dj^[Cekj^"ÈW'/.'[iiWoh[j^_da_d]^[hh[bW# j_edi^_fjej^[b[]WYoe\@e^d9W]["j^[ZWdY[h"Y^eh[e]hWf^[hWdZ ÓbccWa[hOledd[HW_d[hZ[Yh_[Zj^[WXi[dY[e\ceh[ikijW_d[Z Yh_j_YWbWdZj^[eh[j_YWbh[Ô[Yj_eded9W][Êimeha"]_l[d^_i[dehceki _cfWYjedWhj_ijie\^[h][d[hWj_ed$EXl_ekibo"j^[Yh_j_YWbi_jkWj_ed ^WiY^Wd][ZYedi_Z[hWXboi_dY[HW_d[hÊi[iiWoWff[Wh[Z$O[jj^[ gk[ij_edii^[hW_i[ih[cW_d_cfehjWdj\ehj^_da_d]j^hek]^iec[ e\j^[_cfb_YWj_edie\9W][Êimeha\ehWhjWdZcki_YjeZWo$ HW_d[hÊiYedY[hdbWo_dWjj[cfj_d]jeZ[j[hc_d[m^[j^[hm^Wji^[ l_[m[ZWi9W][ÊiÇh[\kiWbe\c[Wd_d]ÈmWiYed]hk[djm_j^Wfeij# ijhkYjkhWb_ijÇh[\kiWbjeÓnc[Wd_d]"ÈWiWhj_YkbWj[Z_dj^[bWj[ '/,&iXoHebWdZ8Whj^[i"@kb_WAh_ij[lW"WdZej^[him^eiek]^jje h[j^_daj[njkWb_joWiWd_dY[iiWdjfheZkYj_l_joe\bWd]kW]["i_]d_Ó# YWj_ed"WdZfem[hj^Wj_cfb_Y_jbokdZ[hc_d[j^[kd_joWdZYe^[h# 1. Yvonne Rainer, “Looking Myself in [dY[e\ÇWkj^ehÈWdZÇmeha$È' the Mouth,” October No. 17, Summer 1981, p. 76. HW_d[hÊibeei[bo#ijhkYjkh[Zj[njfedZ[him^[j^[h9W][WdÇc[j^eZi e\ded#^_[hWhY^_YWb"_dZ[j[hc_dWj[eh]Wd_pWj_ed"ÈXohWdZec_p_d] i[gk[dY[ie\i_]d_Ó[hiWdZ[nYbkZ_d]ikX`[Yj_l[ef[hWj_edie\ i[b[Yj_edWdZYedjheb"kbj_cWj[boÇWjj[cfjjeZ[doj^[l[ho\kdYj_ed e\bWd]kW][ÈWbje][j^[h$7dZi^[medZ[him^[j^[h9W][Êifhe]hWc# cWj_YÇ_dZ_\\[h[dY[ÈWdZh[\kiWbe\Wkj^ehi^_f"fei[ZWij^[ijhW# j[]_Yh[`[Yj_ede\Whj_ij_Y][d_kiWdZWkj^eh_jo"X[Yec[Yecfb_Y_j m_j^Wikffh[ii_ede\ikX`[Yj_l_joWdZfeb_j_YWbYedj[ijWj_ed$HW_d[h j^[dYedYbkZ[ij^WjÇ9W][Êi[\\ehjije[b_c_dWj[WdZikffh[ii c[Wd_d]i^ekbZ_ddemWoX[Yed\ki[Zm_j^j^[h[\kiWbjeÓnc[Wd# 2. Ibid., pp. 67, 68, 76. _d]e\m^_Y^8Whj^[iif[Wai$È( 7iW\[cWb[Whj_ijm^ei[emdYWh[[h[cXeZ_[iWi[je\^_ijeh_YWb jhWdi_j_edi\hec9W][WdWdZc_d_cWb_ijfh_dY_fb[i_dj^['/,&i jemWhZi[d]W][c[djim_j^dWhhWj_l[WdZf[hiedWbWdZfeb_j_YWb ''. ^_ijeh_[i_dj^['/-&iWdZ'/.&i"HW_d[hcWoX[_Z[Wbbofei[Zje Yecfh[^[dZj^[fej[dj_WbiWdZb_c_jie\Y[hjW_dYecfei_j_edWb ijhWj[]_[i$7dZ^[hgk[ij_edi"WXekjj^[^_ijeh_YWb[\\[Yjie\Wdj_# h[\[h[dj_WbWdZZ[#ikX`[Yj_\o_d]ijhWj[]_[i"h[cW_dm_j^ki$7dZo[j" ckY^WXekj^[hWYYekdjh[cW_dikdiWj_i\o_d]"f[h^Wfiij[cc_d] \hec^[hkdZ[hijWdZ_d]e\9W][Êifhe`[YjWiWh[bWj_l[bokd_Ó[Z" 3. Of course, in the context of dance ioij[cWj_Yi[je\fh_dY_fb[i$) in the 1960s, in and around Merce Cunningham, Cage’s practice may indeed have been experienced as >Wl_d]fkjHW_d[hÊiYh_j_gk[edj^[jWXb["?fhefei[jeij[fXWYa a coherent aesthetic; one gets a more vivid sense of this from the recent WdZbeea"dejWjiec[el[hWbbÇf^_beief^oÈe\9W][Êimeha"Xkj autobiography of Carolyn Brown, WjWi[je\Yecfei_j_edWbijhWj[]_[iWdZZ[l_Y[i$HW_d[hÊi[\\ehjje Chance and Circumstance: Twenty Years with Cage and Cunningham, Ç[nWc_d[Y[hjW_djhekXb_d]_cfb_YWj_edie\9W][Êi_Z[WiÈj[dZi New York: Knopf, 2007. jefh[i[djWi^ece][dekiWdZÓn[ZWi[je\ijhWj[]_[im^ei[ ^_ijeh_YWb[bWXehWj_edmWi\Whceh[j[djWj_l[ÅWdZceh[Ybei[bo _cfb_YWj[Zm_j^[c[h]_d]feijijhkYjkhWbfWhWZ_]ciÅj^WdHW_d[h WYademb[Z][i$ ?m_bbekjb_d[^[h[Wi[h_[ie\cel[i][d[hWj[Z_d9W][Êimehakfje j^[[Whbo'/+&i"Wjj^[cec[djm^[d^[_iij_bbcel_d]WmWo\hec cki_YWbijhkYjkh[WdZYedl[dj_edWbcki_YWbbWd]kW][$J^_if[h_eZ Åhek]^bo'/)/Å+(Å_i[njhWehZ_dWh_bo\hk_j\kbdejedbo_d9W][Êi emdmeha"Xkj_dj^[ceZ[bij^Wj_jfhel_Z[i\ehfkbb_d]WfWhjWi[j e\Yedl[dj_ediWdZ"_dieZe_d]"][d[hWj_d]Wm^eb[i[je\cWj[h_# Wbi"ijhkYjkh[iWdZfhWYj_Y[i$?j_iWbieYhkY_Wb\ehki"Wjj^_icec[dj" jeh[ikiY_jWj[j^[[Whbo<kjkh_ijWdZceZ[hd_ijZ_c[di_edie\ 9W][Êifhe`[Yj"dejedbojeX[jj[hkdZ[hijWdZj^[^_ijeh_YWbheejie\ feij#'/,&iWhjfhWYj_Y[i"XkjWbiejekdZ[hijWdZ^emj^[oWhei[_d fWhj\hecWfhe\ekdZ[dYekdj[hm_j^j^[ijhkYjkhWbh[eh]Wd_pWj_ed e\Xej^ÇiekdZÈWdZÇj_c[ÈkdZ[hj^[f[hlWi_l[_cfWYje\j^[dd[m * 4. The importance of this earlier Futurist j[Y^debe]_[ie\iekdZfheZkYj_edWdZh[YehZ_d]$ moment in Cage’s trajectory has been insisted on by several writers, perhaps most notably: David Nicholls, American M^_b[cWdo^Wl[iek]^jjeYecfh[^[dZj^[ioij[cWj_YWdZYe^[h# Experimental Music, 1890–1940. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, [djdWjkh[e\9W][Êi[dZ[WlehiÅ8hWdZ[d@ei[f^Z[iYh_X[iÇj^[ 1990. See also the essays in: David be]_YWb"i[b\#Yh_j_YWbWdZkjj[hboYedi_ij[djZ[l[befc[dje\j^[Óhij W. Patterson, (ed.), John Cage: Music, + Philosophy and Intention, 1933–1950, jmeZ[YWZ[ie\9W][iYWh[[hÈ Å_dm^Wj\ebbemi?^ef[je[cf^Wi_p[ New York: Routledge, 2002. WceZ[be\\hW]c[djWj_ed"eh[l[dYh_i_i"hWj^[hj^WdZ[l[befc[dj$ 5. Branden W. Joseph, “The Tower :[if_j[9W][Êiemd[\\ehjije_dij_bbWc[Wikh[e\f^_beief^_Y and the Line: Toward a Genealogy of Ye^[h[dY["j^[hkfjkh[i"Xh[Waj^hek]^iWdZYekdjb[ii\W_bkh[ie\ Minimalism,” Grey Room No. 27, Spring 2007, p. 60. While I may not agree with ^_iYWh[[hWh[^WhZjeYedjW_dm_j^_dWYedi_ij[djdWhhWj_l[$>_i his diagnosis of Cage’s development, YedijWdjboY^Wd]_d]Yecfei_j_edWbfhWYj_Y[_idejWioij[c"WdZ Joseph’s work is among the most acute recent efforts to theorize Cage’s [\\ehjijeh[dZ[h_j_djeWdoj^_d]b_a[Wioij[cWj_YXeZoe\_Z[Wieh practice and its implication for wider ijhWj[]_[i"?\[Wh"h_iaibei_d]_jihWZ_YWbbo[nfbehWjeho"Wdj_#ioij[# arts practice. cWj_Yfej[dj_Wb"WiWi[h_[ie\\hW]c[dji"ehWi[je\cel[i"j^Wj ''/ Yedj_dkWbboi^_\jZ[f[dZ_d]edj^[fhe`[Yj$?dij[WZ"_d9W][Êi[Whbo meha"m[YWdbeYWj[Wi[h_[ie\YhkY_WbYecfei_j_edWbijhWj[]_[i WdZef[hWj_edi"ceZ[bij^Wjm_bbX[jWa[dkf_dZ_\\[h[djWdZYed# Ô_Yj_d]mWoi_d^_iemdmeha"WdZÅ\hecj^['/+&iedÅ_dj^[meha e\ej^[hWhj_iji$J^[i[cel[iWh[fej[dj_Wbboel[hbWff_d]"WdZfe# j[dj_WbboYedjhWZ_Yjeho"WdZ_dcWdoh[if[Yji9W][_iXodec[Wdi j^[Çeh_]_dWjehÈe\j^[cXkjWl_jWbYebb[Yjeh"ki[h"WdZZ_ii[c_dW# jeh"m^ei[h[b[djb[ii[\\ehji^[bf[Zf[hc_jfh[l_ekibocWh]_dWb_p[Z _Z[WiWdZfeii_X_b_j_[ijeX[h[#Y_hYkbWj[ZWdZh[ceX_b_p[ZWc_Zij j^[YhkY_WbjhWdi\ehcWj_ediWdZXh[WaZemdie\c_Z#jm[dj_[j^# Y[djkhoceZ[hd_ici$ CoemdWdWboi_i^Wie\j[dZ[fWhj[Z\hec*’))”WiWYhkY_Wbfh[Y[# Z[dj\ehWdkcX[he\ijhWj[]_[ij^Wj^Wl[X[[dh[#Y_hYkbWj[Z"_d l[hoZ_\\[h[dj\ehci"_dZ_l[hi[fhe`[Yji_dj^[l_ikWbWhji"mh_j_d]" iekdZ"ÓbcWdZl_Z[e"i_dY[j^[bWj['/+&i$7im[adem"Xoj^[[Whbo '/,&i"9W][^_ci[b\mekbZfheckb]Wj[W\h[[#\ehcl[hi_ede\*’))” j^Wj^[YekbZÇf[h\ehcÈ_dj^[meeZim^_b[i[WhY^_d]\ehcki^# heeci"m^_Y^YekbZbWijWdoWcekdje\j_c[WdZYedi_ijii_cfbo e\Wjj[dj_l[bob_ij[d_d]jej^[mehbZWhekdZed[ÅWi_\j^[iYeh[ i_cfboh[WZÇB_ij[d$È=_l[d9W][Êi]hem_d]Z_iYec\ehjm_j^Wdo _cfei[ZijhkYjkh["cWdoe\^_ibWj[hh[cWhai[\\[Yj_l[boZ[doj^[ \ehcWbif[Y_ÓY_joe\*’))”WiWYecfei[Zmeham_j^j^h[[cel[# c[djiYedi_ij_d]e\[nj[hdWbbo][d[hWj[ZZkhWj_edi$ M^WjWh[iec[e\j^[a[oWif[Yjie\j^_if_[Y[Å\ehbWj[hWhjfhWY# j_Y[iWdZ\ehfhWYj_Y[ij^WjcWoo[j[c[h][5 'J^[YedY[fjkWb_pWj_ede\j^[mehae\WhjWiWZkhWj_edWb[nf[h_# [dY["WdZWiWa_dZe\j[cfehWbYedjW_d[h"XWi[Zed[nj[hdWbboeh WhX_jhWh_bo[ijWXb_i^[Zj_c[XhWYa[jij^WjZ[j[hc_d[^embed]Wd WYj_edeh[l[djm_bbX[YWhh_[ZekjÅWcel[jWa[dkfWdZh[_dj[h# fh[j[Z"\eh_dijWdY["_dj^[[WhboYWc[hWhebbÓbcie\7dZoMWh^eb ehj^[dkc[heki[Whbol_Z[eij^Wjki[j^[[nj[hdWb\hWc[e\j^[ ijWdZWhZb[d]j^ie\jWf[ijeYajeZ[j[hc_d[j^[ZkhWj_ede\Wmeha (8o[cfjo_d]ekjWdoel[hjYedj[dj"j^[_cfb_Y_j\eYkiedj^[ i_jkWj_ed_ji[b\"Xej^_dWf[hY[fjkWbi[di[Åj^[mWoWf[h\ehcWdY[ e\*’))”_dl_j[ikijeb_ij[djeWcX_[djiekdZiWdZ[nf[h_[dY[ j^[[n_ij_d]iekdZmehbZWiWa_dZe\cki_YÅWdZWbieWh]kWXbo_d Wceh[YedY[fjkWbi[di["_dj^[mWoj^Wjj^_iWXi[dY[e\Çcki_Y"È _dj^[Yedl[dj_edWbi[di["Wbiec_]^j_dl_j[kije\eYkiedj^[ '(' \hWc_d]Yedl[dj_edie\j^[cki_YYedY[hjWdZjeh[Ô[Yjed_jWi Wd_dij_jkj_ed$ )8[YWki[e\_ji[lWYkWj_ede\Yedl[dj_edWbcki_YWbcWj[h_Wbi" j^[\kdYj_ede\dejWj_edY^Wd][iWdZX[Yec[iWdef[hWj_edWb ceZ[b"ed[e\Z[iYh_X_d]j^_d]ijeZe"fbWY[Zm_j^_dWj_c[ijhkY# jkh[WdZ_dj^_ih[YedÓ]khWj_ed"bWd]kW][fbWoiWd_dYh[Wi_d]bo , 6. As I have argued elsewhere, in its use Y[djhWbheb[$ of language, the linguistically-notated typewritten version of the piece inaugu- rates a practice of the text as score – a *J^[_iebWj_ede\j^[iYeh[WiWi[fWhWj[]hWf^_Y%j[njkWbeX`[Yj" practice that places language in the am- bivalent temporality of musical notation, debed][hZ[f[dZ[djkfedf[h\ehcWdY["\ehm^_Y^h[WZ_d]_ji[b\ where it functions as both prescription cWoYedij_jkj[Çh[Wb_pWj_edÈÅWcel[j^Wj^[bf[Zfhef[bj^[_dj[h# and record – while simultaneously crys- tallising a practice of pure durational [ij_dÇbWd]kW][f_[Y[iÈ_dj^['/,&i"_dYbkZ_d]j^[[l[djiYeh[i structure. Written, it would seem, per- WiieY_Wj[Zm_j^<bknkiÅ`kijWi"Wbed]m_j^ej^[hi_d[nf[h_c[djWb haps as early as 1953 and certainly by 1958, Cage’s text score for 4’33’’ offers a cki_Y"9W][Êimeha^[bf[Zfhef[bj^[[nj[di_ede\cki_YWbdejW# precedent not only for the short written j_ed_djeWceh[][d[hWbYedY[fje\iYeh_d]WdZÇiYeh[fhWYj_Y["È text scores and performance instruc- tions produced by Fluxus artists in the _dm^_Y^coh_WZZ[l_Y[i\hec]hWf^_Yi"ZhWm_d]iWdZZ_W]hWcije early 1960s, but also for the projects of \WXh_YWj_ed_dijhkYj_ediYekbZ][d[hWj[Whj_ij_YWYj_l_j_[iehi[hl[ Conceptual art that emerged in the later - 1960s. Liz Kotz, “Post-Cagean Aesthetics WiWj[cfbWj[\ehWfej[dj_Wbboh[f[WjWXb[meha$ and the ‘Event’ Score,” October No. 95, Spring 2001, p. 54–89. +7dZ"f[h^WficeijhWZ_YWbbo"j^[mWoj^Wj*’))”fkjij^[l[ho 7. This tendency to compare the musi- dej_ede\j^[ÇmehaÈ_dYh_i_i$?diecWdoh[if[Yji"W][d[Wbe]o cal score to other notational schemas was not uncommon in the 1960s, most e\9W][Êi[Whb_[hmehaYWddejWYYekdj\ehj^[[nfbei_l[Whh_lWbe\ notably in philosopher Nelson Good- *’))”WdZj^[hkfjkh[j^Wjj^_i[l[dj_djheZkY[i$ man, Languages of Art: An Approach to a Theory of Symbols, New York: Bobbs-Merrill, 1968. Also in architect J^kim^Wjjec[i[[ciceij_cfehjWdjWXekjj^[h[bWj_ede\ Lawrence Halprin’s treatise, The RSVP Cycles: Creative Processes in the 9W][Êimehajej^[l_ikWbWhji_idejieckY^j^[l_ikWbWhjj^Wj^[ Human Environment, New York: George cWZ["eh[l[dd[Y[iiWh_bo^_icoh_WZ_dj[hZ_iY_fb_dWho[\\ehji"Wi Brazillier, 1969.