21.03.2016

“No one is as deaf as the man who will not listen.” ~ Proverb

John Cage’s 1952 performance of 4’33” involved sitting at his piano, and that was all. He did not play a note or make a sound, he just sat. His intention was to make the audience listen for his music, rather than just to hear. In the 7 minute piece re-enacted by William Marx, the audience applauds him to the stage and then they sit silently waiting for the music to begin.

“Everything we do is music.” ~ John Cage

The audience sits in silence even after minutes pass of Marx at the piano. As he opens and closes the lid of the piano the audience does not know whether to anticipate an actual musical piece or not. So they eagerly wait, and listen. All that can be heard are muffled coughs from the audience and the occasional creak of the piano stool.

What Marx and Cage have both set out to achieve is to evoke the action of listening in the audience. To listen requires focused attention and effort, while hearing does not. While the audience waits, they are listening, focusing intently on the musician to start, to make any noise. It is arguably the most listened to piece of music.