For generations, many of New York’s most creative people have lived, worked and played in Greenwich Village: some briefly, like Robert Frost, others for their entire lives. Village Voices pairs their words with music, adding another dimension to the work of these innovative thinkers and experimenters.

John Cage and Henry Cowell were pioneers of the musical avant-garde, experimenting with extended techniques, indeterminacy and electro-acoustic music. Their work was controversial and ground-breaking, redefining the art of music itself. In “The Wonderful Widow of Eighteen Springs,” Cage has the pianist perform a percussion part on the closed piano lid – on other occasions he prepared the inside of the piano with a selection of objects which altered the sound, and in the celebrated 4’33” he has the pianist sit in total silence. Cowell’s setting of “The Pasture” is relatively conservative. The story goes that Cowell left the table at a dinner party to retire to the music room and compose the song at the piano. He then performed it with one of the other dinner guests! Cowell later became notorious for his arrest on charges of homosexual conduct and was championed by the Seegers.

Performers

Adriana Valdez, Sharon Harms – sopranos;
Cathy Kautsky and Joan Forsyth, piano;
Village Guitar Orchestra