ÉSTA ES UNA DE LAS MEJORES INTEPRETACIONES QUE HE CONTEMPLADO. EL AUDITORIO REALMENTE NO SABE LO QUÉ ESTÁ PASANDO, SEGURAMENTE NO HAN DE TENER IDEA DE QUIÉN ES JOHN CAGE. DEFINITIVAMENTE UNA VERSIÓN MUY INTERESANTE, SEGURAMENTE EL COMPOSITOR, CON SU HUMOR, LA HUBIERA APROBADO.
Yo creo que de hecho se está interpretando la obra, porque la gente está pendiente del músico como en cualquier concierto. No pasaron 4'33'' arbitrarios. Fue un guitarrista parado ahí interpretando y la gente sobrecogida por el silencio. Nunca les había llegado tan profundamente el silencio. A algunos de un modo molesto, a otros de modo intrigante.
jaJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAAJ es buenísimo, así se hace, ¡¡cómo toca!! y esa sirena, y esos sonidos de la vida, ohhhh, menos mal que alguien se toma en serio la pedazo de caga del tomador de pelo más grande de la historia de la "música".
Sin dudarlo, creo que es la versión más conmovedora que he oído de esta pieza. El contexto en movimiento y la interpretación como músico ambulante le da a la obra una nueva profunda dimensión que, por lo menos yo, no había imaginado al conocer la existencia de esta creación. El compositor estaría orgulloso y creo que hubiese deseado con vehemencia estar sentado en alguno de esos asientos.
Lo encuentro increible, no entiendo como no ven lo que esta ahi, como tratan a la gente de loca. Es solo el silencio, el silencio que en realidad no existe, estamos rodeados de sonido siempre, algo tan simple como el sonido del viento o tus propios pensamientos. Muy creativo de tu parte hacerlo en un bus, donde se encuentra variedad de sonidos.
Hoy me entere de que existia este tipo que se llama john cage, doy gracias porque me mostro.. que el silencio no existe.
La idea de hacerlo en un lugar publico es una idea MUY Cageana. Eso esta buenisimo.
Se me ocurre que quizás sobra la explicación inicial.
Ver esa obra por un pianista en una sala de concierto, con pùblico es toda una experiencia impresionante.
El silencio SI existe. Cage tiene un libro entero dedicado a él, Silence y miles de articulos en otros libros. Una de las cosas que plantea Cage es ¿que es la música?
Y a la vez plantea un quiebre como lo hizo Duchamp con La fuente
@nachivelasco jaja, pero sí existe, lo estás escuchando. Es la música más incomprendida, el octavo tono de la escala diatónica, la voz que nunca nadie toma en cuenta, y lo que menos le dedicamos tiempos los músicos a practicar.
Excelente versión, para quien entiende de qué va 4' 33" de Cage, no se podrá decir que esta no es una versión inédita, algo nunca antes visto. He sabido de versiones para arpa, para orquesta, para guitarra eléctrica (en casa) pero nada como esto: en pleno transporte público, los sonidos de fondo, excelente, bien pensado, dejaste a todos sin darse cuenta de nada...bueno, a aquellos que no saben de qué va la cosa. Saludos desde México, D.F.
It's the earlier comments left by people about a year ago which amaze me. They are debating this piece of shit like it was some sort of masterpiece and the ratings are nearly +400. Retarded.
lol some people left (had to leave) and no one clapped. this is my fav interpetation and also a bit different, cause he left out the three time dividing movements and took the bus ride sounds as one piece
excelente propuesta, creo q falta un poco de tecnica guitarristica eso si. Espero q los pasajeros se hallan ido pensando... talvez tuvieron algo de que hablar cuando llegaron a sus casas
Some of the earlier comments have reached +300! What do people see in this assault on common sense? This is beyond retarded. This is beyond mindless. It is the ultimate zero statement.
If this is considered music, then surely we are at a stage where the end of culture is now in view. To read some of the early comments by YouTubers praising this rubbish is just too much to expect any music lover to tolerate. Madness has taken over.
No, this is great art. The guitarist puts us in contact with the mysteries of the cosmos by letting us experience the fascinating (yet ordinary) sounds of the world in which we live.
The high ratings of the earlier comments (now up to +282) are fully justifiable by the sense of spontaneity shown in this unique performance, though I feel that the 'political' aspect of the performance discussed in some of these earlier comments is not intended by the performer.
'Great art'? 'In contact with the mysteries of the cosmos'? Those are big claims. And there are more similarly incomprehensible statements which I read when I pressed the button to see all the comments. Some of the viewers have clearly thrown away all common sense.
All over the world people are watching this rubbish on their computers. This is a scandalous waste of electricity. This video is environmentally unfriendly.
I agree with all the anti-Abba comments made earlier on. Anyone who plays an Abba LP or CD is also wasting electricity, being environmentally irresponsible, and is destroying the planet.
You mad guitarist you are destroying planet earth!!!!!!!
This is an interesting psychological document about how a musician reacts within a social environment when he is not actually trying to communicate anything (most musicians are concerned with 'communication' in performance, but this obviously does not apply to 4'33). I would like to see similar performances by the guitarist in other public situations, such as standing on the sidewalk, in a restaurant, etc. The audience's total lack of reaction is also of great sociological interest.
Have you seen some of the first comments left when this insane video was uploaded? They have ratings of +275! The guys who posted those comments must be on drugs or something.
This video is just too exciting for me to be able to cope with psychologically - the action is simply too intense, there's too much excitement, I'm on the edge of my seat watching it; it's more than my nervous system can stand. I watched the first two minutes then couldn't face the rest, it was just too much activity to take in ... lol
Yes, this is real artistic expression, I don't dispute that. But Cage is overrated. I mean, this is hardly a match for Mozart's Jupiter Symphony, or something like that.
It's a genuine work of art. You have to look beyond the sound and appreciate the concepts behind it. I know that sounds pretentious, but that's honestly the way I feel about it. In general I'm in agreement with the positive earlier comments, though some of them seem to be reading things into the performance which almost certainly weren't intended by the guitarist.
This is a total waste of time. But according to some of the comments, many of the viewers think it's a great work of art. Why get so excited about such an amazingly boring and crappy video?
This is the most boring video I've ever watched. Am I missing out on some sort of joke here?
I see zqap726 has made similar comments. Can anyone enlighten us as to what this is all about? What's so great about announcing you're going to play a piece and then not playing it?
Hey, alphabet guy - this is the famous "silent piece" by John Cage, in which the composer wanted to show that you don't have to "choose" anything in art, but that it's enough just to listen to the sounds which are already around you, which is easy to do when the piece being performed is silent and doesn't cover up any of those other sounds. This piece was also a reaction against too much intellectualism in the 1950s avant-garde. Some people believe it's Cage's most important achievement. LOL!
WTF's going on here? Is this something "deep and meaningful"? So a guy stands on a bus holding a guitar without playing it and that's considered interesting enough to be the subject of a five-minute video?
But other people seem to think it's great. I'm confused.
Good on Guy-with-guitar for staying upright the entire time while the bus was moving. He nearly takes a tumble at one point, but then makes an incredible save with a one-handed grab for the nearest post! Just bloody thrilling stuff!!
This is a truly artistic offering, an understated and gentle reminder that in the midst of our daily trivial chores (like travelling on a bus) we can find an opportunity for spiritual contemplation if we are openminded enough to look for it. Thanks for a superb video.
There is nothing "mad" about people who express their enthusiasm and approval by voting positively for posted comments which indicate appreciation of a work of art such as this video. I suspect you listen to Britney Spears, Coldplay, and other similar childish trash. Educate yourself and learn to value the work of John Cage and this superb guitarist.
Some of the earlier comments are now rated at +250, so stuff that up your ass!
My unknown friend, I must say that I warmly admire your good taste in your choice of username, but that is where my admiration both begins and ends. As far as your assessment of this eloquent performance of John Cage's noble music is concerned, you are just talking out your ass.
Several friends in the UK tell me that the Tory party did little to help the Arts in Britain during Thatcher's reign of dictatorship or during John Major's reign of incompetence. I guess you guys look over to us in the USA, you see our magnificently intellectual George W Bush at the helm, then you survey our culture and see that we have reached the summit of artistic achievement with 4'33". And you see this as our greatest achievement in music.
At least Amy Winehouse is known to like cats, so that's a point in her favour. John Cage also liked cats, I think.
I can't imagine Amy Winehouse managing to perform 4'33" though. Can anyone believe that this woman could keep her mouth shut for over four minutes without opening it to say something dumb?
The choice of a mobile venue gives a feeling of flexibility and a freedom of expression which is not usually present in performances of 4'33" in the concert hall. Despite the strange surroundings in which he is performing, the guitarist conveys a strong sense of 'stage presence' as in a 'normal' performance. This is a serious artistic event.
No, John Cage specified in the score that 4'33" can be performed by a performer on any instrument, or even by more than one performer. See the list of Cage's works in 'The New Grove'.
Is everyone mad? Why the hysterical mass enthusiasm (ratings of +200 and more) for comments about a guitarist who stands in a bus doing nothing? Now there's online talk of bringing 'nobility' to public toilets and making them into 'temples of art' by taking a clarinet into a bog and standing there doing nothing.
Have you insane people lost track of what music REALLY is? Have you listened to Beethoven's Ninth Symphony recently? Remind yourself of what true music is!
Who says that John Cage work is about simply music any way?
For me, is about many aspects of the mind life and art that are far beyond just music.
I think is absurd to compare Beethoven with John Cage, is like comparing apples with oranges. One of them develop the compositional skills to the point of perfection, and the other one expand the limits of musical language, using it as a significant material, expanding in consecuence the music semiotic.
You describe this video as being "about many aspects of the mind, life and art that are far beyond just music" and I agree with you in principle, but my reservation about Cage is that he wanted to go 'beyond' music before actually understanding the basics of 'just' music itself. His new conceptual ideas were vague and were not built on any foundations related to 'conventional' music.
I love this video, though I'm amazed at the ratings of up to +207 for some of the earlier comments.
4'33" is a serious piece. It helps us to purge our minds of all preconceptions and prejudice regarding what is interesting to listen to and what isn't. When you learn to appreciate 4'33" you may find that you return to the great works of Beethoven with increased perception of every nuance.
This is wonderful. The guitarist stimulates the passengers to use their imagination by encouraging them to react positively to their prosaic environment. I agree that this is the most interesting Cage video on YouTube, but I also agree that the ratings for some of the comments, some of which have reached +170, are getting out of hand. Is this genuine cultural appreciation or just hysteria?
More than that - it's +190 now for some of the earlier comments. I find it intriguing that this video has created a remarkable consensus of positive opinion with very few people disliking it. By contrast, there have been very mixed reactions to most of the other YouTube Cage videos.
It's a remarkably fresh video, far better than any of the other performances of 4'33" on YouTube, with the exception of the one by David Tudor, who gave the world premiere performance in the 1950s. Tudor approaches the work in a stern way, and I wonder whether he would disapprove of this guitarist's cheerful announcement of the work and the brighter setting chosen for the performance? Would Tudor perhaps find this performance too lightweight? I guess he knows the piece better than anyone else.
This is a most unusual performance, and perhaps it's the sheer originality of it which has inspired the unbelievable outpouring of approval for some of the earlier posted comments, many of which have received ratings of around +160. The enthusiasm shown is perhaps excessive, but it's definitely preferable to the abusive comments which have appeared on other John Cage videos.
I see no point in this. The passengers don't even know for sure whether the guitarist can even play the guitar. For all they know he might not be a musician at all.
Some of the earlier comments (with about +170 applied to them!) are talking about the bus as a democratic 'temple of art'. I don't play any musical instrument, but what if I take a clarinet into a public toilet for five minutes? Is that an artistic experience? Will the toilet (a 'democratic' public place) become a 'temple of art'?
I see nothing wrong with performing John Cage's music in a public toilet. I heard a violinist preparing for a concerto appearance by practising Bach's unaccompanied Partita in E major (a few minutes before the concert started) in a gents' toilet and it was an excellent artistic experience. Nice acoustic too, with a warm bloom of resonance on the tone.
It doesn't seem appropriate to perform Bach in a public toilet, but I guess if it's wrong to perform Bach in a toilet, it's wrong to perform Cage there too.
Does the venue affect our perception of the music? What is the greater artistic experience for the listener, listening to Cage in a public toilet, or listening to Bach in the same place?
Likewise with the bus - would everyone be praising this video so much if the guitarist had performed Bach instead?
What is the greater artistic experience for the performer: performing John Cage in a public toilet or using the public toilet for its intended purpose?
Richard Strauss was once criticised for conducting a performance of his 'Sinfonia Domestica' in a Department store in the USA. He replied by saying that the performance of an artistic work brought nobility to any venue, even a Department store.
In the same spirit, performing the immortal 4'33" by John Cage brings nobility to any venue, whether it's the Royal Festival Hall in London, or a bus, or a public toilet.
In response to your question, I suppose the obvious answer is that it depends how desperate the performer is to have a shit.
This is an interesting video, but someone called it "an almost perfect rendition" a few months ago and that comment has now received +220. Too much attention is being given to this video. Let's not forget that Cage wrote other pieces than 4'33"!
I'd like to see a comment posted by the guitarist himself. He needs to tell us: was this intended as a serious musical performance, or was it a joke? I think some of the viewers who have left enthusiastic comments could be left with egg on their faces if it turns out that this "performance" was never intended as anything other than just a bit of fun.
This is surely Cage's most important piece. When it appeared in 1952 it tried to call a halt to some of the more excessively pseudo-intellectual elements which were taking over contemporary music. 4'33 seemed to ask for a new beginning as regards the direction of contemporary music, but I don't think we got one. Still, the message of 4'33" remains important and this performance is one of the best I have ever heard (or perhaps to be more accurate I should say one of the best I have ever seen).
It's difficult to see how this piece can be performed either well or badly - either you perform it or you don't, and trying to assess the quality of the performance is as futile as trying to assess the quality of the 'music'.
Some of the other YouTube videos of 4'33" show no understanding of the ideas behind the piece at all. One guitarist turns it into a cheap comedy act. At least this guy on the bus in Chile does it properly and knows what John Cage's piece is about on an aesthetic level.
This video shows a fresh approach towards performing 4'33" and is certainly preferable to some of the other feeble videos of this piece on YouTube. But I can't see that it deserves the unprecedented praise that has been heaped upon it in some of the earlier posted comments. Do some of these comments REALLY deserve approval ratings of +140 or more?
its difficult to stand with your back turned to the flow of a moving bus....let alone play the guitar...but string quartets manage this in the Paris metro....a few notes would have been good it looks like a nice guitar...but its an art statement not a musical one....
Interesting though this video is, some of the comments posted here are a strange mixture of inspired speculation and plain bullshit. Looking through the comments on the various other Cage videos on YouTube, I wonder whether maybe it's time to call a halt to the immense amount of speculation as to the meaning of Cage's music.
So I suggest everyone learns from the example of 4'33" and shuts up. But top marks to this guitarist for stimulating such lively 'debate'.
it is industry standard to use the score if neccessary which generally is acceptable in complex modern works but not in the classical repertoire.Increasing complexity of works has caused the performer to become obsolete and for works to be performed by machines to ensure the truthful rendition of the composers noises. "performance is dead" is the reason why such as Glenn Gould and the Beatles gave up on it as a cultural medium;preffering to become studio artists.
I agree with the Beatles and Glenn Gould; it is possible for good musicians to communicate with their audiences with great spontaneity even in a recording studio.
Incidentally, Paul McCartney cannot read a score or any form of musical notation.
If the guitarist in this video had used the score instead of relying on his memory he would not have forgotten that 4'33" is in three separate movements. This information is written in the score.
Paul McCartney himself admits that he cannot read a score or any form of musical notation. When he was awarded his honorary doctorate in Music at Sussex University (UK) by Professor Jonathan Harvey about twenty years ago it was considered controversial to make Paul a 'Dr' of Music when he is musically illiterate.
I am not criticising Paul McCartney by confirming that he cannot read music - I am just stating a fact. I think Sergeant Pepper is a bigger achievement than anything by John Cage.
It's absurd that there has been some sort of mass delusion here. A guitarist stands on a bus for four and half minutes doing nothing, getting in the way of passengers who are trying to walk past and people all over the world sit behind their computers saying how great the 'performance' was. One of them is even rating this above Beethoven. This is madness.
The comments by 'catsarewonderful' and 'fxtto' which assert that this performance is a democratic statement are wildly speculative. Surely this video was just intended as a joke, and no deep meanings were intended by the guitarist?
Yet those comments have both received strong approval from YouTubers, with ratings of about +130.
Democratic statement? Standing on bus, holding a guitar and doing sod all? LOL!
This is the most interesting John Cage video I have ever seen, though perhaps the comments about this performance being a 'bold democratic statement and a challenge to the 'temple of art' tradition are a bit over the top.
Yes, this is an original video, very fresh in its presentation of a familiar piece, and I admire the audacity of the performance, but some of the comments are a little extreme. The excessive admiration is turning into something a bit like the hysterical Beatlemania of the 1960s.
Fantástico! tienen que volverlo a hacer pero colocando también una cámara desde el punto de vista del guitarrista, porque nos perdimos las caras de los usuarios. Fue genial ver a la señora rubia voltear con cara de: Tas loco!
You can argue and rationalise all day about whether this is 'art' or not but all you have to do is to put on a CD of a Beethoven symphony or a Schubert song to be brought to your senses and to realise how ludicrous the whole argument is.
yeah, i get totally depressed by the music of those 19th century's dino's and can't help to run as fast as possible back to my music collection and blast some of Cage's music through my monitors. It also works with records and cassete!
People come in all kinds of colours and in my case one and one happens to be three. There r no absolutes in art and music baby!
That's true, there are no absolutes in art and music, though by intelligent study we can come closer to something resembling objectivity, even if this only means defining the limits of ambiguities. But by rejecting "19th century dino's" (BTW, there is no apostrophe in plural nouns) you demonstrate a lack of cultural awareness and traditions, and without understanding of this you are unlikely to appreciate Cage's work adequately.
for ur edification: there r persons on the internet who r not native speakers in english, like me. But with a little help i get better all the time. thx
As for the appreciation of pieces by cage. The fact that i m not fond of some music by 19th century dinos (!) doesn't mean i didn't listen to it. Or do u mean i can only appreciate Cage's music well, if i also appreciated Beethoven? besides: imo the basis of music is joy, not study.
music is an expression of felt sensitivities, not a show of technical abilities. Good music never fails to escape the bounderies of proclaimed objectivities. Especially Beethoven is illustrative in this context. U hear him almost litterally banging against the walls of the twentieth century, but in the end didn't make the doorstep. If somebody fought a fight without winning it sure was poor Beethoven.
Beethoven is everywhere. The only way you could go through life without Beethoven's music is if you were locked in your home for you're entire life with no links to the outside world.
I would say he was successful enough if he still has an impact so far in the future.
After I lead the glorious Communist Revolution in Liverpool next week (weather permitting) my first decree as President of the People's Republic of the UK will be to declare war on Sweden for producing Abba, to ban Abba from ever performing again, and to send to the labour camps anybody who owns a copy of any of their LPs or CDs.
Meanwhile, during the last days of capitalism, let's continue to worship Johnny Cage.
sorry guys, this was a reply to russman22 but it landed heads up on the front page! Russman kinda defended Beethoven by lasting demand, so i replied yeah and abba is everywhere too.
but whatever, Abba isnt Cage and vice versa, but its both music and can b enjoyed if u want to and r willing to. I really enjoy Cage's work, but when i throw a party u can b sure even abba has a better chance to make the turntable (!)
For John Cage, one and one makes zero. With Cage, even five hundred multiplied by two thousand would make zero because he makes zero out of everything. I have little patience with his work because he only offered ideas, not constructive realisations of these ideas. He could not create.
But 4'33" always gives us plenty to think about and I enjoyed this video. John Cage's music is empty because of his lack of compositional ability, but in 4'33" the emptyness is A POSITIVE STATEMENT!
Good - someone sensible out there is reminding us of the concept of the score, which points us back towards the organiser of the score: the composer. The whole concept of the composer (organiser) becomes lost in discussions of Cage's work, yet even 4'33" adheres to the old tradition of having a score with instructions.
4'33" YouTube videos are getting stranger all the time: there's one which consists of a camera positioned in a train, but nobody seems to be 'performing' the piece.
Using the score shows respect to a composer's work because it gives the performer a visual reminder of every tiny detail notated in the score during the performance.
It's the vain people who perform by memory who are superficial - they just remember the notes and perform with the right spirit but often the subtle details in the score get forgotten about.
It doesn't much matter with 4'33" though, as this piece is not difficult to memorise. LOL!
You make a valid point about opera singers, because of course if they used the score it would destroy the sense of theatrical realism, but many rock 'musicians' can't read music anyway so they would have no use for a score.
Try memorising with complete mental security every detail (even the smallest) of a complex contemporary score by someone like Stockhausen or Xenakis - you'll see the problem.
'Industry standard' is a strange term for you to use about cultural matters.
PS so what about all the rock muso's who can read? I have never seen them using a score and the ones who cant read seem to get on OK too, so the score is superfluous,an irrevelancy to the manufacture of sound.
Most rock musicians are unable to read a score (some probably can't even read or write their own name). Very few of them are musically trained (of course there are exceptions, like Frank Zappa, The Grateful Dead, etc). In general the world would be a better place if these losers stopped making their noise, and performed 4'33" instead.
Most rock musicians would be intellectually challenged by a job in MacDonalds or sweeping the streets. No wonder they can't read a score.
It is industry standard to perform from mamary;have you ever seen a rock band with a score in front of it,or an opera singe on satge with a score,or a neurosurgeon referring to a textbook whilst operating?
The score is a tool for transferring ideas from the composer and is not part of the performance.
I am bewildered too. Reading all these appreciative comments about a man who is standing there doing nothing is just incredible. The guitarist who uploaded this video must be amazed at the reaction to it.
Where do you stand in the great bullshit debate? What are your views about bullshit? Is it a significant social force? Is it an important element of modern society? Has bullshit developed in recent years? Is the quality of bullshit as high as in the 1990s? Or do you not have views? Do you need advice from a bullshit guidance expert?
Should bullshit become a way of life? Should the future of bullshit be regulated by government legislation, or by qualified independent consultants?
This video is bullshit. Most of the comments written here are bullshit. And we have to listen to George W Bush talking on TV. Bullshit is taking over the world.
Bullshit already is a way of life. The whole world revolves around bullshit.
Either this video is deep and meaningful in a philosophical sense, or it is bullshit. But I'm not sure which it is. Perhaps if I watch it another 500 times I'll be able to come to an informed decision about this.
For me, this video expresses optimism, a pure, new work of art with no imposed character and therefore containing no human flaws. Watching this at 8.40am on Friday 28 December offers me a fresh, revitalised start to the day, and even to art and life.
People are reading too much into this video. It doesn't express optimism, in fact it doesn't express anything. It's not 'pure', it's blank and neutral, and as for having 'no imposed character' that's exactly what everyone else is doing to it. They are using their imagination to make this video express whatever they want it to. The composer has no control over this.
As you imply, the supposed 'optimism' to which you refer stems from viewing a work of art which contains nothing, and which is therefore completely without any hint of stress. 4'33" is pure Zen. But there is some stress evident in the way the guitarist gets in the way of passengers who are trying to move around the bus. Overall, I see no optimism in this video and nothing to make me feel 'revitalised' in my life. Cage has abdicated all choice and that shows a depressingly defeatist attitude.
I would say this is an exercise in applied psychology - not music. It does indeed re-focus a person's attention to his surroundings rather well, but in itself - 'tisn't a song.
Yes, that's true. But academics today often consider that the reception history of a composition becomes a valid aspect of the work itself (in the sense that no 'definitive' interpretation of a work of art's meaning exists, only a multitude of personal interpretations by different listeners). 4'33" pushes this to extremes. Certainly the favourable response to this video by YouTube viewers is astonishing.
Although the location of the performance is unconventional, the guitarist observes the formal protocol of traditional concerts by dressing smartly and by making a formal entry and exit at the beginning and end of the performance. The unexpected presentation of the music means that the performance is (perhaps) less of a 'communal' listening experience than at a normal concert, but this remains a valid version of 4'33", unique in its way.
I think there is a danger that the visible movement evident in this performance (people moving around the bus and the guitarist's shifts of position to enable them to walk past him) brings it close to a spirit of theatre, which was not Cage's intentions. Nevertheless, the bold initiative shown by presenting this work in such a public context makes it a fascinating artistic experience.
I don't think the visible movement is a problem. Most performances of 4'33" are given in concert halls in which the performer(s) remain(s) perfectly still, to emphasise the silence. But Cage did not specify in the score that the performer(s) must remain still.
Besides, all performances which we watch appear 'theatrical' to some extent, even if we are merely watching the motions of an orchestra and conductor performing a Brahms symphony.
Yes, this excellent performance can be seen as a bold 'democratic' statement. The guitarist defies social convention by producing 'art' in a place where we least expect to witness it, rejecting the bourgeois world of the concert hall in favour of a place where the musician can be amongst the people.
Is everyone trying to be ironic, or did 109 people not realize that this comment can be applied to ANY "concert" performance in a public place. Have you ever seen a string quartet in formal attire playing on a sidewalk? This comment applies to that too. It is broader than Nostradamus's predictions and Freud's diagnoses. Now maybe, author, you intended it to be so broad, but either way, the abundance of positive feedback is completely unwarranted. You said so little in so many words.
The guitarist did not ask the people on the bus whether they wanted an artistic experience; instead, he suddenly walks to the front of the bus and provides the artistic experience without warning. To me, that seems to force the message onto the listeners in a way which is against the spiritual tranquility of 4'33".
For me, the unexpectedness of the way the guitarist suddenly announces the performance creates tension, not relaxation. But it is still an interesting performance of 4'33".
I agree, it's a tense performance, but I think the tension is appropriate. Moments of 'silence' are often used to create tension in classical music, the only differences here being that the 'silence' is longer, and that instead of coming between pitched sounds the 'silence' here separates the guitarist's opening and closing comments. This is a compelling performance, the best version of 4'33" on YouTube.
Yes, this is an inspired performance of 4'33". There is a feeling of freedom about this performance, because the listeners are released from the constraints and the sense of predictable ritual which they experience in the more formal atmosphere of the concert hall.
The setting is well chosen because there are plenty of natural sounds for the travellers to listen to. Even though the performance itself is silent, the relaxed atmosphere conveys a sense of lyricism.
It seems that this is one of the most admired John Cage performances on YouTube.
It held my interest, but perhaps the movement of people within the bus distracts us a little from listening to the silence. The guitarist maintains silence despite having to get out of the way, so overall I do not think that the movement invalidates the performance.
I like the setting though. 'Taking art to the people' is an interesting way of looking at it. A very original way to present 4'33".
This is not 'taking art to the people'; this performance is about altering our concepts of 'movement'.
Music is normally considered to have a sense of 'movement' (progression towards a climax, etc) and takes place in a 'static' (motionless) concert hall. In this video, the music is static, but it takes place in a 'moving' environment. It is the movement of the bus which gives the sense of 'progression' and 'change', not the music itself.
The special character of this performance is its 'democratic' element.
We are used to going to a serious concert hall for an artistic experience, and the concert hall has become a 'temple of art'. But just as John Cage taught that anyone can be an artist, this video shows that ANY venue can provide an artistic experience.
It shows that the concert hall is not necessary as a 'temple of art', and that you can step on a public bus and be offered a rewarding artistic experience.
Contrary to what 'Catsarewonderful' writes, I don't think this is a 'democratic' video as only a small number of élite (specialist) music lovers will understand that what they are watching is great art.
Most people will just think that this is a video of a guitarist standing on a bus, not playing anything. Since this video only appeals to a minority it cannot be considered truly 'democratic'.
ÉSTA ES UNA DE LAS MEJORES INTEPRETACIONES QUE HE CONTEMPLADO. EL AUDITORIO REALMENTE NO SABE LO QUÉ ESTÁ PASANDO, SEGURAMENTE NO HAN DE TENER IDEA DE QUIÉN ES JOHN CAGE. DEFINITIVAMENTE UNA VERSIÓN MUY INTERESANTE, SEGURAMENTE EL COMPOSITOR, CON SU HUMOR, LA HUBIERA APROBADO.
SALUDOS.
CristianMahler 2 months ago
no separó los movimientos =P
homerosalazar 3 months ago
Yo creo que de hecho se está interpretando la obra, porque la gente está pendiente del músico como en cualquier concierto. No pasaron 4'33'' arbitrarios. Fue un guitarrista parado ahí interpretando y la gente sobrecogida por el silencio. Nunca les había llegado tan profundamente el silencio. A algunos de un modo molesto, a otros de modo intrigante.
ledzepfran 5 months ago
seriously people get a life it's just a dude being funny
kouleifoe 10 months ago
jaJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAAJ es buenísimo, así se hace, ¡¡cómo toca!! y esa sirena, y esos sonidos de la vida, ohhhh, menos mal que alguien se toma en serio la pedazo de caga del tomador de pelo más grande de la historia de la "música".
alvaroaugk 11 months ago
que lindo saber que los argentinos entienden Cage y los italianos no.
funkcool 1 year ago
De todas las versiones de 4'33'', ésta es mi favorita.
llllJAUZllll 1 year ago
People don't understand the silence and the contemporary Art.
I love your work!
Saludos desde Chile
Letzen 1 year ago 2
Sin dudarlo, creo que es la versión más conmovedora que he oído de esta pieza. El contexto en movimiento y la interpretación como músico ambulante le da a la obra una nueva profunda dimensión que, por lo menos yo, no había imaginado al conocer la existencia de esta creación. El compositor estaría orgulloso y creo que hubiese deseado con vehemencia estar sentado en alguno de esos asientos.
racarras 1 year ago 4
@racarras totalmente de acuerdo!!!!!!!
diegotz8 1 year ago
Qué buena versión!!! Muchas gracias!!
Pd: Realmente eres un virtuoso de la guitarra clásica
manuelnino 1 year ago
total crap
theMindlessMoron 1 year ago
mae la mejor version!! q pichudo!!!
pedrangas93 1 year ago
Perfecto.
No equvovaste en ninguna nota, incluso con el movimiento del autobus y los pasajeros.
Tu habilidad es, sin duda alguna, impresionante.
Nomunire 1 year ago
I love this video. Those who don't like it, look up John Cage 4:33 and you'll understand what is going on...
1lush42 1 year ago
H o l a
Esta bueno
Auque a mi me gustan el ruido de los motores de los colectivos jajajj
Que no a muchos les gusta o no lo entienden
S a l u d o s
bus562 2 years ago 2
genio! totalmente increible, recien descubro mas de john cage, encuentro asombroso y profundo su trabajo.
Felicitaciones por atreverte!
:)
killsweetbunny 2 years ago 2
Lo encuentro increible, no entiendo como no ven lo que esta ahi, como tratan a la gente de loca. Es solo el silencio, el silencio que en realidad no existe, estamos rodeados de sonido siempre, algo tan simple como el sonido del viento o tus propios pensamientos. Muy creativo de tu parte hacerlo en un bus, donde se encuentra variedad de sonidos.
Hoy me entere de que existia este tipo que se llama john cage, doy gracias porque me mostro.. que el silencio no existe.
Saludos desde chile.
nachivelasco 2 years ago
La idea de hacerlo en un lugar publico es una idea MUY Cageana. Eso esta buenisimo.
Se me ocurre que quizás sobra la explicación inicial.
Ver esa obra por un pianista en una sala de concierto, con pùblico es toda una experiencia impresionante.
El silencio SI existe. Cage tiene un libro entero dedicado a él, Silence y miles de articulos en otros libros. Una de las cosas que plantea Cage es ¿que es la música?
Y a la vez plantea un quiebre como lo hizo Duchamp con La fuente
Vitisaurio 2 years ago 2
@nachivelasco jaja, pero sí existe, lo estás escuchando. Es la música más incomprendida, el octavo tono de la escala diatónica, la voz que nunca nadie toma en cuenta, y lo que menos le dedicamos tiempos los músicos a practicar.
otharennaur 1 year ago
+500 for some of the earliest comments on this crap video???????
Why???????
MrBoringBoringBoring 2 years ago
2:30-2:40
strawberryrhubarbs 2 years ago
Excelente versión, para quien entiende de qué va 4' 33" de Cage, no se podrá decir que esta no es una versión inédita, algo nunca antes visto. He sabido de versiones para arpa, para orquesta, para guitarra eléctrica (en casa) pero nada como esto: en pleno transporte público, los sonidos de fondo, excelente, bien pensado, dejaste a todos sin darse cuenta de nada...bueno, a aquellos que no saben de qué va la cosa. Saludos desde México, D.F.
RobertoHMV 2 years ago
A psychiatrist should be brought in to study some of those earlier comments LOL
811754 2 years ago 98
It's the earlier comments left by people about a year ago which amaze me. They are debating this piece of shit like it was some sort of masterpiece and the ratings are nearly +400. Retarded.
hideousthingy 2 years ago 101
pero faltó que pidiera la monedita!
valentrinity 2 years ago
I wrote a new song today. I call it X'33", where X is the number of hours it took me to figure out what was wrong with my computer speakers.
cracksmokingswindler 2 years ago
la verdad no se si sos un vivo barbaro, o un genio de la guitarra, (disculpa el sarcasmo)
FRAN6MAR 3 years ago
sad version
DaBattlelover 3 years ago
buenazo
aeropueroto 3 years ago
Magnífico! Sempre quis fazer isso.
musicalamizade 3 years ago
lol some people left (had to leave) and no one clapped. this is my fav interpetation and also a bit different, cause he left out the three time dividing movements and took the bus ride sounds as one piece
AMPFEAST 3 years ago 2
excelente propuesta, creo q falta un poco de tecnica guitarristica eso si. Espero q los pasajeros se hallan ido pensando... talvez tuvieron algo de que hablar cuando llegaron a sus casas
patatatop 3 years ago 2
tenia que ser SHILENO,como yo
patatatop 3 years ago
Where's the tune?
Rtera4 3 years ago
There is no tune. There is nothing.
Some of the earlier comments have reached +300! What do people see in this assault on common sense? This is beyond retarded. This is beyond mindless. It is the ultimate zero statement.
51fxjsfxtscjjdf 3 years ago
If this is considered music, then surely we are at a stage where the end of culture is now in view. To read some of the early comments by YouTubers praising this rubbish is just too much to expect any music lover to tolerate. Madness has taken over.
liiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiil 3 years ago 2
No, this is great art. The guitarist puts us in contact with the mysteries of the cosmos by letting us experience the fascinating (yet ordinary) sounds of the world in which we live.
The high ratings of the earlier comments (now up to +282) are fully justifiable by the sense of spontaneity shown in this unique performance, though I feel that the 'political' aspect of the performance discussed in some of these earlier comments is not intended by the performer.
TheInfiniteUniverse 3 years ago 9
This comment has received too many negative votes show
This is shit. Abba is much better.
CrappyShittyBollocks 3 years ago
'Great art'? 'In contact with the mysteries of the cosmos'? Those are big claims. And there are more similarly incomprehensible statements which I read when I pressed the button to see all the comments. Some of the viewers have clearly thrown away all common sense.
englishcricketiscrap 3 years ago 5
All over the world people are watching this rubbish on their computers. This is a scandalous waste of electricity. This video is environmentally unfriendly.
I agree with all the anti-Abba comments made earlier on. Anyone who plays an Abba LP or CD is also wasting electricity, being environmentally irresponsible, and is destroying the planet.
You mad guitarist you are destroying planet earth!!!!!!!
UFOsDOnotEXIST 3 years ago 2
LOL, that's really really stupid
ricardo222222 3 years ago
2:38 is my favourite. Greatperformance and such a good interpretation of Cage's work!!
Kudos
nairnodrums 3 years ago
Comment removed
strawberryrhubarbs 2 years ago
This is an interesting psychological document about how a musician reacts within a social environment when he is not actually trying to communicate anything (most musicians are concerned with 'communication' in performance, but this obviously does not apply to 4'33). I would like to see similar performances by the guitarist in other public situations, such as standing on the sidewalk, in a restaurant, etc. The audience's total lack of reaction is also of great sociological interest.
TheMagicTeabag 3 years ago 5
This is mindless. A completely pointless video which has wasted five minutes of my life.
RetardedRedHamster 3 years ago
Have you seen some of the first comments left when this insane video was uploaded? They have ratings of +275! The guys who posted those comments must be on drugs or something.
MYNOSEISFULLOFSNOT 3 years ago
I agree with the earlier comments about Abba. Some of them have high ratings, too.
ghasxkguc 3 years ago
This video is just too exciting for me to be able to cope with psychologically - the action is simply too intense, there's too much excitement, I'm on the edge of my seat watching it; it's more than my nervous system can stand. I watched the first two minutes then couldn't face the rest, it was just too much activity to take in ... lol
Iamtheamazingspammer 3 years ago
What a load of cretins you must all be to waste your time watching this pathetic crap. There are surely better ways of spending a Saturday night.
Still, I watched it too - LOL!
G0p3 3 years ago 2
Yes, this is real artistic expression, I don't dispute that. But Cage is overrated. I mean, this is hardly a match for Mozart's Jupiter Symphony, or something like that.
BoringOldSod 3 years ago 3
It's a genuine work of art. You have to look beyond the sound and appreciate the concepts behind it. I know that sounds pretentious, but that's honestly the way I feel about it. In general I'm in agreement with the positive earlier comments, though some of them seem to be reading things into the performance which almost certainly weren't intended by the guitarist.
ZgDnS4Wk8fDgAi7w2q1m 3 years ago
This is a total waste of time. But according to some of the comments, many of the viewers think it's a great work of art. Why get so excited about such an amazingly boring and crappy video?
SpewingCat 3 years ago 2
But any fool could have written this! No skill is needed as a performer either, if all you have to do is just stay silent for four and half minutes.
The people writing comments saying that this video is great must have their heads screwed on the wrong way. What a bunch of crap.
And why "perform" this on a bus?
yowoz 3 years ago
This is the most boring video I've ever watched. Am I missing out on some sort of joke here?
I see zqap726 has made similar comments. Can anyone enlighten us as to what this is all about? What's so great about announcing you're going to play a piece and then not playing it?
abcdefghijk1mnopqrst 3 years ago
Hey, alphabet guy - this is the famous "silent piece" by John Cage, in which the composer wanted to show that you don't have to "choose" anything in art, but that it's enough just to listen to the sounds which are already around you, which is easy to do when the piece being performed is silent and doesn't cover up any of those other sounds. This piece was also a reaction against too much intellectualism in the 1950s avant-garde. Some people believe it's Cage's most important achievement. LOL!
874rt 3 years ago
muy bien interpretado :)
persini 3 years ago
WTF's going on here? Is this something "deep and meaningful"? So a guy stands on a bus holding a guitar without playing it and that's considered interesting enough to be the subject of a five-minute video?
But other people seem to think it's great. I'm confused.
zqap726 3 years ago
Curacao!
christian6657 3 years ago
Excelente interpretación !
felicidades. Andres
matkuchuma 3 years ago
It's entertaining, but is it art?
TheBogeyEater 3 years ago
Hey, BogeyEater, I think your comment should be reversed. This is definitely art, but is it entertaining?
541ak 3 years ago 2
This is a very original video. But do some of the earliest comments really justify the staggering ratings of +260?
MyNameIsUncleCrap 3 years ago 2
Good on Guy-with-guitar for staying upright the entire time while the bus was moving. He nearly takes a tumble at one point, but then makes an incredible save with a one-handed grab for the nearest post! Just bloody thrilling stuff!!
GrlLeastLikelyTo 3 years ago
This is a truly artistic offering, an understated and gentle reminder that in the midst of our daily trivial chores (like travelling on a bus) we can find an opportunity for spiritual contemplation if we are openminded enough to look for it. Thanks for a superb video.
okqardqardqardqard 3 years ago 4
+230 or more for some of these inane comments? You people are mad!
16February2008 4 years ago
There is nothing "mad" about people who express their enthusiasm and approval by voting positively for posted comments which indicate appreciation of a work of art such as this video. I suspect you listen to Britney Spears, Coldplay, and other similar childish trash. Educate yourself and learn to value the work of John Cage and this superb guitarist.
Some of the earlier comments are now rated at +250, so stuff that up your ass!
AmyWinehouseIsCrap 3 years ago 3
Bollocks to that. This video is shit. End of story.
ToriesOut 3 years ago
My unknown friend, I must say that I warmly admire your good taste in your choice of username, but that is where my admiration both begins and ends. As far as your assessment of this eloquent performance of John Cage's noble music is concerned, you are just talking out your ass.
StuffTheTories 3 years ago
Several friends in the UK tell me that the Tory party did little to help the Arts in Britain during Thatcher's reign of dictatorship or during John Major's reign of incompetence. I guess you guys look over to us in the USA, you see our magnificently intellectual George W Bush at the helm, then you survey our culture and see that we have reached the summit of artistic achievement with 4'33". And you see this as our greatest achievement in music.
Makes you proud to be an American, doesn't it?
TheExpertOnNothing 3 years ago 4
But there's nothing happening! WHY?
ThePukingExperience 3 years ago
At least Amy Winehouse is known to like cats, so that's a point in her favour. John Cage also liked cats, I think.
I can't imagine Amy Winehouse managing to perform 4'33" though. Can anyone believe that this woman could keep her mouth shut for over four minutes without opening it to say something dumb?
Catsarewonderful 3 years ago 5
The choice of a mobile venue gives a feeling of flexibility and a freedom of expression which is not usually present in performances of 4'33" in the concert hall. Despite the strange surroundings in which he is performing, the guitarist conveys a strong sense of 'stage presence' as in a 'normal' performance. This is a serious artistic event.
BlownApartByAnOrgasm 4 years ago 3
4'33 it's a piano piece ;0
deadgent 4 years ago
No, John Cage specified in the score that 4'33" can be performed by a performer on any instrument, or even by more than one performer. See the list of Cage's works in 'The New Grove'.
RayAtBristolUni 4 years ago 2
Is everyone mad? Why the hysterical mass enthusiasm (ratings of +200 and more) for comments about a guitarist who stands in a bus doing nothing? Now there's online talk of bringing 'nobility' to public toilets and making them into 'temples of art' by taking a clarinet into a bog and standing there doing nothing.
Have you insane people lost track of what music REALLY is? Have you listened to Beethoven's Ninth Symphony recently? Remind yourself of what true music is!
80851 4 years ago 3
Who says that John Cage work is about simply music any way?
For me, is about many aspects of the mind life and art that are far beyond just music.
I think is absurd to compare Beethoven with John Cage, is like comparing apples with oranges. One of them develop the compositional skills to the point of perfection, and the other one expand the limits of musical language, using it as a significant material, expanding in consecuence the music semiotic.
NHTSINLEY 4 years ago 2
You describe this video as being "about many aspects of the mind, life and art that are far beyond just music" and I agree with you in principle, but my reservation about Cage is that he wanted to go 'beyond' music before actually understanding the basics of 'just' music itself. His new conceptual ideas were vague and were not built on any foundations related to 'conventional' music.
I love this video, though I'm amazed at the ratings of up to +207 for some of the earlier comments.
TheBiggestShitOfAll 4 years ago
4'33" is a serious piece. It helps us to purge our minds of all preconceptions and prejudice regarding what is interesting to listen to and what isn't. When you learn to appreciate 4'33" you may find that you return to the great works of Beethoven with increased perception of every nuance.
AnotherBigDick 3 years ago 3
This is wonderful. The guitarist stimulates the passengers to use their imagination by encouraging them to react positively to their prosaic environment. I agree that this is the most interesting Cage video on YouTube, but I also agree that the ratings for some of the comments, some of which have reached +170, are getting out of hand. Is this genuine cultural appreciation or just hysteria?
PukingIsFun 4 years ago 2
More than that - it's +190 now for some of the earlier comments. I find it intriguing that this video has created a remarkable consensus of positive opinion with very few people disliking it. By contrast, there have been very mixed reactions to most of the other YouTube Cage videos.
AsdaWalmartStinks 4 years ago
It's a remarkably fresh video, far better than any of the other performances of 4'33" on YouTube, with the exception of the one by David Tudor, who gave the world premiere performance in the 1950s. Tudor approaches the work in a stern way, and I wonder whether he would disapprove of this guitarist's cheerful announcement of the work and the brighter setting chosen for the performance? Would Tudor perhaps find this performance too lightweight? I guess he knows the piece better than anyone else.
minimumeffortneeded 3 years ago 2
This is a most unusual performance, and perhaps it's the sheer originality of it which has inspired the unbelievable outpouring of approval for some of the earlier posted comments, many of which have received ratings of around +160. The enthusiasm shown is perhaps excessive, but it's definitely preferable to the abusive comments which have appeared on other John Cage videos.
TheEmperorOfShitCity 4 years ago 2
I see no point in this. The passengers don't even know for sure whether the guitarist can even play the guitar. For all they know he might not be a musician at all.
Some of the earlier comments (with about +170 applied to them!) are talking about the bus as a democratic 'temple of art'. I don't play any musical instrument, but what if I take a clarinet into a public toilet for five minutes? Is that an artistic experience? Will the toilet (a 'democratic' public place) become a 'temple of art'?
ThisPlanetHasGoneMad 4 years ago 6
I see nothing wrong with performing John Cage's music in a public toilet. I heard a violinist preparing for a concerto appearance by practising Bach's unaccompanied Partita in E major (a few minutes before the concert started) in a gents' toilet and it was an excellent artistic experience. Nice acoustic too, with a warm bloom of resonance on the tone.
RockMusicIsCrap 4 years ago 5
It doesn't seem appropriate to perform Bach in a public toilet, but I guess if it's wrong to perform Bach in a toilet, it's wrong to perform Cage there too.
Does the venue affect our perception of the music? What is the greater artistic experience for the listener, listening to Cage in a public toilet, or listening to Bach in the same place?
Likewise with the bus - would everyone be praising this video so much if the guitarist had performed Bach instead?
GeorgeBushMustGo 4 years ago 6
What is the greater artistic experience for the performer: performing John Cage in a public toilet or using the public toilet for its intended purpose?
edargorteRretteLneT 4 years ago 4
Richard Strauss was once criticised for conducting a performance of his 'Sinfonia Domestica' in a Department store in the USA. He replied by saying that the performance of an artistic work brought nobility to any venue, even a Department store.
In the same spirit, performing the immortal 4'33" by John Cage brings nobility to any venue, whether it's the Royal Festival Hall in London, or a bus, or a public toilet.
JonathanWyeth 4 years ago 6
In response to your question, I suppose the obvious answer is that it depends how desperate the performer is to have a shit.
This is an interesting video, but someone called it "an almost perfect rendition" a few months ago and that comment has now received +220. Too much attention is being given to this video. Let's not forget that Cage wrote other pieces than 4'33"!
LondonIsDirtyAndVile 4 years ago 2
Londons etc. Yes and they're all crap as well!
Mogggpiano 3 years ago
I'd like to see a comment posted by the guitarist himself. He needs to tell us: was this intended as a serious musical performance, or was it a joke? I think some of the viewers who have left enthusiastic comments could be left with egg on their faces if it turns out that this "performance" was never intended as anything other than just a bit of fun.
littleredtomata 3 years ago
Se felicita la originalidad en cuanto al lugar y características elegidos. ¡Faltó pasar la gorra! Ahora... a estudiar la guitarra, de verdad.
ClauGriggio 4 years ago
This is surely Cage's most important piece. When it appeared in 1952 it tried to call a halt to some of the more excessively pseudo-intellectual elements which were taking over contemporary music. 4'33 seemed to ask for a new beginning as regards the direction of contemporary music, but I don't think we got one. Still, the message of 4'33" remains important and this performance is one of the best I have ever heard (or perhaps to be more accurate I should say one of the best I have ever seen).
ElliottCarterIsGreat 4 years ago 3
It's difficult to see how this piece can be performed either well or badly - either you perform it or you don't, and trying to assess the quality of the performance is as futile as trying to assess the quality of the 'music'.
Some of the other YouTube videos of 4'33" show no understanding of the ideas behind the piece at all. One guitarist turns it into a cheap comedy act. At least this guy on the bus in Chile does it properly and knows what John Cage's piece is about on an aesthetic level.
notspeakingthetruth 3 years ago
Excelente, viva John Cage !!!
LvHernandez 4 years ago
This video shows a fresh approach towards performing 4'33" and is certainly preferable to some of the other feeble videos of this piece on YouTube. But I can't see that it deserves the unprecedented praise that has been heaped upon it in some of the earlier posted comments. Do some of these comments REALLY deserve approval ratings of +140 or more?
KathrynTheMystic 4 years ago 5
The earliest ratings are up to +340 now! Some of those early comments are amazing. Didn't know we had so many philosophers watching YouTube.
relaxinggameofgolf 3 years ago
stuff this shit
811754 2 years ago
its difficult to stand with your back turned to the flow of a moving bus....let alone play the guitar...but string quartets manage this in the Paris metro....a few notes would have been good it looks like a nice guitar...but its an art statement not a musical one....
berniex59 4 years ago
Interesting though this video is, some of the comments posted here are a strange mixture of inspired speculation and plain bullshit. Looking through the comments on the various other Cage videos on YouTube, I wonder whether maybe it's time to call a halt to the immense amount of speculation as to the meaning of Cage's music.
So I suggest everyone learns from the example of 4'33" and shuts up. But top marks to this guitarist for stimulating such lively 'debate'.
ElephantVomit 4 years ago 3
it is industry standard to use the score if neccessary which generally is acceptable in complex modern works but not in the classical repertoire.Increasing complexity of works has caused the performer to become obsolete and for works to be performed by machines to ensure the truthful rendition of the composers noises. "performance is dead" is the reason why such as Glenn Gould and the Beatles gave up on it as a cultural medium;preffering to become studio artists.
samoged 4 years ago 2
I agree with the Beatles and Glenn Gould; it is possible for good musicians to communicate with their audiences with great spontaneity even in a recording studio.
Incidentally, Paul McCartney cannot read a score or any form of musical notation.
If the guitarist in this video had used the score instead of relying on his memory he would not have forgotten that 4'33" is in three separate movements. This information is written in the score.
gcsbenkqtsuipowcqzaw 4 years ago 5
you should say that it is alleged that Sir Paul McCartney cannot read a score or any form of musical notation.
This is a myth- it might as easily be said that he cannot read a bank statement or a newspaper
samoged 4 years ago
Paul McCartney himself admits that he cannot read a score or any form of musical notation. When he was awarded his honorary doctorate in Music at Sussex University (UK) by Professor Jonathan Harvey about twenty years ago it was considered controversial to make Paul a 'Dr' of Music when he is musically illiterate.
I am not criticising Paul McCartney by confirming that he cannot read music - I am just stating a fact. I think Sergeant Pepper is a bigger achievement than anything by John Cage.
uscasgvjd 4 years ago 3
It's absurd that there has been some sort of mass delusion here. A guitarist stands on a bus for four and half minutes doing nothing, getting in the way of passengers who are trying to walk past and people all over the world sit behind their computers saying how great the 'performance' was. One of them is even rating this above Beethoven. This is madness.
HeyShitfaceUAsshole 4 years ago
The comments by 'catsarewonderful' and 'fxtto' which assert that this performance is a democratic statement are wildly speculative. Surely this video was just intended as a joke, and no deep meanings were intended by the guitarist?
Yet those comments have both received strong approval from YouTubers, with ratings of about +130.
Democratic statement? Standing on bus, holding a guitar and doing sod all? LOL!
DireMusicEverywhere 4 years ago 3
i love john cage but i absolutely could not stand 4'33" until i saw this video. it's hilarious!
dividesbyzero 4 years ago
This is the most interesting John Cage video I have ever seen, though perhaps the comments about this performance being a 'bold democratic statement and a challenge to the 'temple of art' tradition are a bit over the top.
WonderfulWorldOfShit 4 years ago 5
Yes, this is an original video, very fresh in its presentation of a familiar piece, and I admire the audacity of the performance, but some of the comments are a little extreme. The excessive admiration is turning into something a bit like the hysterical Beatlemania of the 1960s.
SpamRulesTheUniverse 4 years ago 3
You're all so entranced by John Cage and his eccentricities that you can't see the joke.
slipperyleaves 3 years ago
Fantástico! tienen que volverlo a hacer pero colocando también una cámara desde el punto de vista del guitarrista, porque nos perdimos las caras de los usuarios. Fue genial ver a la señora rubia voltear con cara de: Tas loco!
Jailinc 4 years ago 2
Although he decided to run all the movements together, I think the concept for this performance (in a very public place) was great. Well done
whitehorsephoto 4 years ago
You can argue and rationalise all day about whether this is 'art' or not but all you have to do is to put on a CD of a Beethoven symphony or a Schubert song to be brought to your senses and to realise how ludicrous the whole argument is.
oneandonemakestwo 4 years ago
yeah, i get totally depressed by the music of those 19th century's dino's and can't help to run as fast as possible back to my music collection and blast some of Cage's music through my monitors. It also works with records and cassete!
People come in all kinds of colours and in my case one and one happens to be three. There r no absolutes in art and music baby!
cybeavertoo 4 years ago
That's true, there are no absolutes in art and music, though by intelligent study we can come closer to something resembling objectivity, even if this only means defining the limits of ambiguities. But by rejecting "19th century dino's" (BTW, there is no apostrophe in plural nouns) you demonstrate a lack of cultural awareness and traditions, and without understanding of this you are unlikely to appreciate Cage's work adequately.
BillTheBullshitter 4 years ago 5
for ur edification: there r persons on the internet who r not native speakers in english, like me. But with a little help i get better all the time. thx
As for the appreciation of pieces by cage. The fact that i m not fond of some music by 19th century dinos (!) doesn't mean i didn't listen to it. Or do u mean i can only appreciate Cage's music well, if i also appreciated Beethoven? besides: imo the basis of music is joy, not study.
cybeavertoo 4 years ago
music is an expression of felt sensitivities, not a show of technical abilities. Good music never fails to escape the bounderies of proclaimed objectivities. Especially Beethoven is illustrative in this context. U hear him almost litterally banging against the walls of the twentieth century, but in the end didn't make the doorstep. If somebody fought a fight without winning it sure was poor Beethoven.
cybeavertoo 4 years ago
Beethoven is everywhere. The only way you could go through life without Beethoven's music is if you were locked in your home for you're entire life with no links to the outside world.
I would say he was successful enough if he still has an impact so far in the future.
Russman21 4 years ago 11
yeah and Abba is everywhere too
cybeavertoo 4 years ago
Abba should be banned worldwide.
yigvyiwgsvxoiuqwgv 4 years ago 297
Abba represents music at its most banal. It's empty, money-making commercial trash.
qoiubs 4 years ago 313
Abba is base shit. That band is unworthy to be mentioned in the same sentence as Johnny Cage, composer of the immortal 4'33".
slb666k 4 years ago 260
After I lead the glorious Communist Revolution in Liverpool next week (weather permitting) my first decree as President of the People's Republic of the UK will be to declare war on Sweden for producing Abba, to ban Abba from ever performing again, and to send to the labour camps anybody who owns a copy of any of their LPs or CDs.
Meanwhile, during the last days of capitalism, let's continue to worship Johnny Cage.
LoadOfJunk 4 years ago 225
sorry guys, this was a reply to russman22 but it landed heads up on the front page! Russman kinda defended Beethoven by lasting demand, so i replied yeah and abba is everywhere too.
but whatever, Abba isnt Cage and vice versa, but its both music and can b enjoyed if u want to and r willing to. I really enjoy Cage's work, but when i throw a party u can b sure even abba has a better chance to make the turntable (!)
cybeavertoo 4 years ago
For John Cage, one and one makes zero. With Cage, even five hundred multiplied by two thousand would make zero because he makes zero out of everything. I have little patience with his work because he only offered ideas, not constructive realisations of these ideas. He could not create.
But 4'33" always gives us plenty to think about and I enjoyed this video. John Cage's music is empty because of his lack of compositional ability, but in 4'33" the emptyness is A POSITIVE STATEMENT!
CowsLikeEatingGrass 4 years ago 3
the performer forgets that this is a piece in three movements, as there r some other remarks in that by the composer.
4'33'' sounds like a lot of fun and freedom, but it actually is a very tight jacket!
but i respect all persons who take this piece up and try to get it across. so, thx, but next time, keep ur eyes on the score!
cybeavertoo 4 years ago 63
Good - someone sensible out there is reminding us of the concept of the score, which points us back towards the organiser of the score: the composer. The whole concept of the composer (organiser) becomes lost in discussions of Cage's work, yet even 4'33" adheres to the old tradition of having a score with instructions.
4'33" YouTube videos are getting stranger all the time: there's one which consists of a camera positioned in a train, but nobody seems to be 'performing' the piece.
RayAtBristolUni 4 years ago 22
one of the best controversial challenges to the concept of music ever concieved! this is a hate or love it thing.
ownage1810 4 years ago 3
good to see you perform it from memory--many rely too much on the score which shows a superficial knowledge of the work
samoged 4 years ago
Using the score shows respect to a composer's work because it gives the performer a visual reminder of every tiny detail notated in the score during the performance.
It's the vain people who perform by memory who are superficial - they just remember the notes and perform with the right spirit but often the subtle details in the score get forgotten about.
It doesn't much matter with 4'33" though, as this piece is not difficult to memorise. LOL!
609nj 4 years ago 32
So this guy has disrespected the composer by performing it from memory?
It is industry standard to perform from mamery
have you ever seen a rock band with a score in front of them or an opera singer.
Have you ever seen a neuro surgeon referring to a text book during an op?
A score is a tool for transferring information-it has nothing to do with performance.
samoged 4 years ago
You make a valid point about opera singers, because of course if they used the score it would destroy the sense of theatrical realism, but many rock 'musicians' can't read music anyway so they would have no use for a score.
Try memorising with complete mental security every detail (even the smallest) of a complex contemporary score by someone like Stockhausen or Xenakis - you'll see the problem.
'Industry standard' is a strange term for you to use about cultural matters.
609nj 4 years ago 13
PS so what about all the rock muso's who can read? I have never seen them using a score and the ones who cant read seem to get on OK too, so the score is superfluous,an irrevelancy to the manufacture of sound.
samoged 4 years ago
Most rock musicians are unable to read a score (some probably can't even read or write their own name). Very few of them are musically trained (of course there are exceptions, like Frank Zappa, The Grateful Dead, etc). In general the world would be a better place if these losers stopped making their noise, and performed 4'33" instead.
Most rock musicians would be intellectually challenged by a job in MacDonalds or sweeping the streets. No wonder they can't read a score.
iuafwndvdf 4 years ago 16
So this guy has disrespected the composer?
It is industry standard to perform from mamary;have you ever seen a rock band with a score in front of it,or an opera singe on satge with a score,or a neurosurgeon referring to a textbook whilst operating?
The score is a tool for transferring ideas from the composer and is not part of the performance.
samoged 4 years ago
Speech is silver
Silence is golden
ps did you pay any performance fees for this one?
samoged 4 years ago 2
this is retarded. and the whole concept of 4'33 is pretentious. I mean... whatever, It's a funny little gimmick to watch but it gets old.
themonican2005 4 years ago
I am bewildered by the praise being heaped on this video ...
fourpinkpotatoes 4 years ago 8
I am bewildered too. Reading all these appreciative comments about a man who is standing there doing nothing is just incredible. The guitarist who uploaded this video must be amazed at the reaction to it.
PhartingIsFun 3 years ago
Where do you stand in the great bullshit debate? What are your views about bullshit? Is it a significant social force? Is it an important element of modern society? Has bullshit developed in recent years? Is the quality of bullshit as high as in the 1990s? Or do you not have views? Do you need advice from a bullshit guidance expert?
Should bullshit become a way of life? Should the future of bullshit be regulated by government legislation, or by qualified independent consultants?
TheFutureofBullshit 4 years ago 10
Hey, what's all this about "the future of bullshit"? I thought my username was original but now someone has stolen my idea ...
BillTheBullshitter 4 years ago
This video is bullshit. Most of the comments written here are bullshit. And we have to listen to George W Bush talking on TV. Bullshit is taking over the world.
soddenbog 3 years ago 9
Bullshit already is a way of life. The whole world revolves around bullshit.
Either this video is deep and meaningful in a philosophical sense, or it is bullshit. But I'm not sure which it is. Perhaps if I watch it another 500 times I'll be able to come to an informed decision about this.
72436142093457354848 3 years ago 4
For me, this video expresses optimism, a pure, new work of art with no imposed character and therefore containing no human flaws. Watching this at 8.40am on Friday 28 December offers me a fresh, revitalised start to the day, and even to art and life.
VeryHappyDay 4 years ago 7
28th December may have been a good day for you, but it certainly wasn't for me.
RayAtBristolUni 4 years ago
People are reading too much into this video. It doesn't express optimism, in fact it doesn't express anything. It's not 'pure', it's blank and neutral, and as for having 'no imposed character' that's exactly what everyone else is doing to it. They are using their imagination to make this video express whatever they want it to. The composer has no control over this.
TelevisionIsBoring 4 years ago 8
As you imply, the supposed 'optimism' to which you refer stems from viewing a work of art which contains nothing, and which is therefore completely without any hint of stress. 4'33" is pure Zen. But there is some stress evident in the way the guitarist gets in the way of passengers who are trying to move around the bus. Overall, I see no optimism in this video and nothing to make me feel 'revitalised' in my life. Cage has abdicated all choice and that shows a depressingly defeatist attitude.
poetwritingbadpoetry 3 years ago
Absurd. This must be a joke.
thebackwardsfreak 4 years ago
No, he's serious! Watch his other videos and see the comments on his channel ...
NoArtisticMerit 2 years ago
@NoArtisticMerit do you know what song he is playing? John Cage is the composer lol
1lush42 1 year ago
John Cage's music is pretentious.
thiswastaken 4 years ago
and thats the good thing about it!
cybeavertoo 4 years ago
Not as pretentious as some of the ridiculous comments on here.
justjoe19 4 years ago 2
I would say this is an exercise in applied psychology - not music. It does indeed re-focus a person's attention to his surroundings rather well, but in itself - 'tisn't a song.
NihilNominis 4 years ago 9
Yes, that's true. But academics today often consider that the reception history of a composition becomes a valid aspect of the work itself (in the sense that no 'definitive' interpretation of a work of art's meaning exists, only a multitude of personal interpretations by different listeners). 4'33" pushes this to extremes. Certainly the favourable response to this video by YouTube viewers is astonishing.
RayAtBristolUni 4 years ago 37
You have go to be kidding me.
MiamiPsycho 4 years ago
Although the location of the performance is unconventional, the guitarist observes the formal protocol of traditional concerts by dressing smartly and by making a formal entry and exit at the beginning and end of the performance. The unexpected presentation of the music means that the performance is (perhaps) less of a 'communal' listening experience than at a normal concert, but this remains a valid version of 4'33", unique in its way.
uauaua7 4 years ago 357
I think there is a danger that the visible movement evident in this performance (people moving around the bus and the guitarist's shifts of position to enable them to walk past him) brings it close to a spirit of theatre, which was not Cage's intentions. Nevertheless, the bold initiative shown by presenting this work in such a public context makes it a fascinating artistic experience.
GeorgeBushMustGo 4 years ago 309
I don't think the visible movement is a problem. Most performances of 4'33" are given in concert halls in which the performer(s) remain(s) perfectly still, to emphasise the silence. But Cage did not specify in the score that the performer(s) must remain still.
Besides, all performances which we watch appear 'theatrical' to some extent, even if we are merely watching the motions of an orchestra and conductor performing a Brahms symphony.
46elephants 4 years ago 270
Yes, this excellent performance can be seen as a bold 'democratic' statement. The guitarist defies social convention by producing 'art' in a place where we least expect to witness it, rejecting the bourgeois world of the concert hall in favour of a place where the musician can be amongst the people.
fxtto 4 years ago 420
Is everyone trying to be ironic, or did 109 people not realize that this comment can be applied to ANY "concert" performance in a public place. Have you ever seen a string quartet in formal attire playing on a sidewalk? This comment applies to that too. It is broader than Nostradamus's predictions and Freud's diagnoses. Now maybe, author, you intended it to be so broad, but either way, the abundance of positive feedback is completely unwarranted. You said so little in so many words.
justjoe19 4 years ago 2
The guitarist did not ask the people on the bus whether they wanted an artistic experience; instead, he suddenly walks to the front of the bus and provides the artistic experience without warning. To me, that seems to force the message onto the listeners in a way which is against the spiritual tranquility of 4'33".
For me, the unexpectedness of the way the guitarist suddenly announces the performance creates tension, not relaxation. But it is still an interesting performance of 4'33".
FILLMEUPWITHWHISKY 4 years ago 495
I agree, it's a tense performance, but I think the tension is appropriate. Moments of 'silence' are often used to create tension in classical music, the only differences here being that the 'silence' is longer, and that instead of coming between pitched sounds the 'silence' here separates the guitarist's opening and closing comments. This is a compelling performance, the best version of 4'33" on YouTube.
BillTheBullshitter 4 years ago 474
Yes, this is an inspired performance of 4'33". There is a feeling of freedom about this performance, because the listeners are released from the constraints and the sense of predictable ritual which they experience in the more formal atmosphere of the concert hall.
The setting is well chosen because there are plenty of natural sounds for the travellers to listen to. Even though the performance itself is silent, the relaxed atmosphere conveys a sense of lyricism.
MyTrainIsAlwaysLate 4 years ago 493
It seems that this is one of the most admired John Cage performances on YouTube.
It held my interest, but perhaps the movement of people within the bus distracts us a little from listening to the silence. The guitarist maintains silence despite having to get out of the way, so overall I do not think that the movement invalidates the performance.
I like the setting though. 'Taking art to the people' is an interesting way of looking at it. A very original way to present 4'33".
thehappydustbin 4 years ago 503
This is not 'taking art to the people'; this performance is about altering our concepts of 'movement'.
Music is normally considered to have a sense of 'movement' (progression towards a climax, etc) and takes place in a 'static' (motionless) concert hall. In this video, the music is static, but it takes place in a 'moving' environment. It is the movement of the bus which gives the sense of 'progression' and 'change', not the music itself.
This is the special character of the performance.
DAYOFDEADLYDOOM 4 years ago 507
The special character of this performance is its 'democratic' element.
We are used to going to a serious concert hall for an artistic experience, and the concert hall has become a 'temple of art'. But just as John Cage taught that anyone can be an artist, this video shows that ANY venue can provide an artistic experience.
It shows that the concert hall is not necessary as a 'temple of art', and that you can step on a public bus and be offered a rewarding artistic experience.
Catsarewonderful 4 years ago 499
Contrary to what 'Catsarewonderful' writes, I don't think this is a 'democratic' video as only a small number of élite (specialist) music lovers will understand that what they are watching is great art.
Most people will just think that this is a video of a guitarist standing on a bus, not playing anything. Since this video only appeals to a minority it cannot be considered truly 'democratic'.
CarrotsAreNice 3 years ago 3