Related Objects

John Cage and Morton Feldman recorded four open-ended conversations at the studios of radio station WBAI in New York. These meetings spanned six months between July 1966 and January 1967, and were produced as five "Radio Happenings". Both men were at transitional points in their music. Cage had completed “Variations V” in 1965 and “Variations VI” and “Variations VII” in 1966, and would publish "A Year from Monday" in 1967. Most of Feldman's important work was yet to come. These conversations between two old friends, relaxed, smoking, and throwing out ideas, are full of laughter and long ponderous silences. They form an incredible historical record of their concerns and preoccupation with making music, art, society, and politics of the moment.

In 1993 these conversations were transcribed and published as "Radio Happenings I-V" by Edition MusikTexte in Cologne, Germany, with a German translation and a preface by Christian Wolff. However, the printed page loses so much that can only be experienced by hearing these two speaking together again - even those long, meaningful silences.

Thanks to the Estate of Morton Feldman and the John Cage Trust for permission to share this historic interview. All Rights Reserved.

Musical Selections

Governments, modern music, freedom from being known. Writing for large or small ensembles. Boulez and Stockhausen's reactions. Writing for Christian Wolff and electric guitar. de Kooning. Lukas Foss. Cage comments on Feldman's soft sounds. Having stamina to make an action. On working alone. Working "at home". Being asocial and the telephone. Edgard Varese. The question of death.

Subjects

Art, Modern
Avant-garde (Art)
Music -- Philosophy and aesthetics
Guitar
Death
Conversations
New music

Related places

New York (N.Y.) (was recorded at)
Berkeley (Calif.) (was broadcast at)

Related Entities

Cage, John
Feldman, Morton, 1926-1987