John Cage recital set to last 639 years recently witnessed a chord change
12 days ago
- #Avant-Garde
- #Organ Music
- #John Cage
- Construction of an organ began in 2000 in a small east German town to perform John Cage’s ORGAN2/ASLSP for 639 years.
- The piece’s only instruction was to play 'as slowly as possible'.
- The world’s longest organ recital started in 2001 at St Burchardi church, Halberstadt, with a 17-month rest before the first chord in 2003.
- The first chord consisted of two G sharps and a B.
- A system of sandbags replaces an organist to sustain the sound indefinitely.
- Hundreds recently gathered to witness the latest chord change.