The Canon John Cage Analysis

Before the late 19th century, the classical music was performed for entertainment purposes as a result of patron-controlled music. This restricted design soon dissipated with the introduction of Beethoven and his symphonies. As a result of his independent musical career, Beethoven was given the opportunity to explore unregulated music. Decades later in the late 19th century, this meaningful music would further popularize and form the musical canon, a collection of great musical compositions that have defined classical music. Through the canon, music was written for the sole purpose of lasting value. This idea popularized the “musical museum,” where only works encapsulating the true essence of classical music – while also being unique – would …show more content…
Cage proposed a complete opposition to the belief of the canon. He believed “we [should] stop listening to masterpieces and start listening to sounds, the music all around us, with new and open ears” (Burkholder, 131). His ideals focused on the understanding that all things in life are made of music. Cage argued that the structured design of the canon restricts the audience’s own belief of enjoyable music. As a result, the Cage’s perception of the musical museum becomes inconceivable with concept of lasting value being overshadowed by instantaneous art. Furthermore, he exemplifies this awareness through his musical work 4’ 33,” where all sounds become the concert in an immersive experience (Lecture, 1 February 2018). This composition explores the idea of indeterminacy in music, resulting in a concert that is never the same each time it is played. Through silence, he expresses the undefined nature of his music and classical music. As a result, Cage disproves the concert hall as a musical museum by suggesting that the true essence of a great work can only be experienced through its current