1 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:06,280 Speaker 1: Hey, and welcome to the short Stuff. I'm Josh, and 2 00:00:06,320 --> 00:00:09,240 Speaker 1: there's chalk and it's short stuff. Jerry's here too, Dave's 3 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:13,480 Speaker 1: here Spirit short stuff. That's right. Shout out to our 4 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:18,280 Speaker 1: old friends at houlstuffworks dot com and in particular Michelle Knstantinovski. 5 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:22,280 Speaker 1: Great name, yeah for this piece on the six hundred 6 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:28,040 Speaker 1: and thirty nine year long concert from a very no 7 00:00:28,120 --> 00:00:29,920 Speaker 1: longer with us he died nineteen nine two, but a 8 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:34,400 Speaker 1: very avant guard, to say the least composer that you've 9 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:38,839 Speaker 1: probably heard of named John Cage. Yeah, John Cage. I 10 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:41,320 Speaker 1: knew his name sounded familiar, but I couldn't quite place 11 00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:44,320 Speaker 1: it until I ran across his piece, or mention of 12 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:47,680 Speaker 1: his piece, four thirty three. Yeah, four minutes and thirty 13 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:50,200 Speaker 1: three seconds. And that in and of itself made John 14 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:52,760 Speaker 1: Cage famous, even to people like me who aren't into 15 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 1: avant guard twentieth century American composing. He should say what 16 00:00:57,120 --> 00:00:59,560 Speaker 1: it is, because it really explains everything we need to 17 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:04,399 Speaker 1: explain about John Cage. So thirty three is a composition 18 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:07,319 Speaker 1: that's just four minutes and thirty three seconds of silence. 19 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 1: There's no instruments playing a single note whatsoever, Like if 20 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:14,560 Speaker 1: you came out on stage and did four thirty three 21 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:16,839 Speaker 1: at a piano, you'd just sit there for four minutes 22 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:20,240 Speaker 1: and thirty three seconds. Have you watched it performed. I haven't. 23 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:23,880 Speaker 1: I'll bet it is really uncomfortable in a lot of ways. Well, 24 00:01:23,959 --> 00:01:26,760 Speaker 1: it's interesting. It's it's performance art in a way, because 25 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:29,840 Speaker 1: like you said, it's it's not like you can just 26 00:01:29,880 --> 00:01:31,640 Speaker 1: sit in a room and say that's your show. Like 27 00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:36,160 Speaker 1: it's it's to be performed. Like the German Philharmonic on 28 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:39,880 Speaker 1: YouTube says, this is four thirty three. The conductor gets 29 00:01:39,959 --> 00:01:43,279 Speaker 1: up there, raises his hands, and then no one does anything. Wow. 30 00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:46,080 Speaker 1: He goes into the second movement, indicates that with a 31 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:50,000 Speaker 1: hand movement, then goes into the third movement and no 32 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:52,200 Speaker 1: one does anything, and everyone rub you know, burst out 33 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:54,720 Speaker 1: into applause at the end, and you can't help but 34 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:56,960 Speaker 1: just sort of snicker a little bit. The thing is, though, 35 00:01:57,040 --> 00:01:59,280 Speaker 1: if you're like, I hate John Cage more than I've 36 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:02,080 Speaker 1: ever hated anybody, just from hearing that, like that's just 37 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:05,480 Speaker 1: so stupid, just stop. You need to hear from a 38 00:02:05,640 --> 00:02:12,880 Speaker 1: John Cage interpreter slash enthusiast named rainier O Nugebauer and 39 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:17,680 Speaker 1: I think how stuff works. Interviewed Nugebauer for this article, 40 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:22,000 Speaker 1: and Nusbauer explains, like four thirty three is not just 41 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:28,080 Speaker 1: some goofy performance piece like John Cage created that, because 42 00:02:28,120 --> 00:02:32,880 Speaker 1: to him, that's not silence. It's there's no intentional sounds 43 00:02:32,919 --> 00:02:35,800 Speaker 1: being made, but there's plenty of sounds going on around you. 44 00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:38,880 Speaker 1: And this is four minutes and thirty three seconds of 45 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:45,120 Speaker 1: hearing completely unpredictable, unplanned sounds in the environment around you 46 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:48,639 Speaker 1: while this composition is going on. And when you hear that, 47 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:52,200 Speaker 1: it's kind of like, um, it's kind of like that 48 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:54,920 Speaker 1: moment when the psychedelics kick in on Homer and that 49 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:58,520 Speaker 1: Chili Pepper episode. He's like, whoa, that's what happened to 50 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:01,400 Speaker 1: me at least, And I suddenly am like, I like 51 00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:04,600 Speaker 1: John Cage a lot. He's very neat, and it just 52 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 1: keeps going from there. Really yeah, or in the case 53 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:09,600 Speaker 1: of the performance in Journey that I watch, you would 54 00:03:09,639 --> 00:03:15,919 Speaker 1: hear right, are you in here? Vs? Dos? Vases dos? 55 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:20,280 Speaker 1: What does that mean? Means? What is that? Okay? And 56 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:22,280 Speaker 1: he also had another quote about him that I think 57 00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:24,800 Speaker 1: kind of sums it up to, which is what we 58 00:03:24,919 --> 00:03:29,680 Speaker 1: call silence for Cage means only the absence of intended sounds, right, 59 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:32,880 Speaker 1: So that was his jam, and that leads us to 60 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:37,760 Speaker 1: the six hundred and thirty nine year long concert otherwise 61 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:44,800 Speaker 1: known as Organ Squared Slash a sl SP, which stands 62 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 1: for as slow as possible. And if you're like, wait 63 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:50,480 Speaker 1: a minute, just trust us. It stands for as slow 64 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:53,520 Speaker 1: as possible. Yeah, so maybe let's take a break there 65 00:03:53,680 --> 00:04:21,720 Speaker 1: and we'll explain all this gobbedygook. So getting to as 66 00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:24,920 Speaker 1: slow as possible as LSP. That wasn't the original name 67 00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:26,560 Speaker 1: for it. I don't know that there was an actual 68 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:29,159 Speaker 1: name for it. I think in nineteen eighty five when 69 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:32,040 Speaker 1: you first composed it, right, it was x y z PDQ, 70 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:34,840 Speaker 1: So I think it was in nineteen eighty seven, two 71 00:04:34,880 --> 00:04:36,520 Speaker 1: years after he first composed that, he was like, we're 72 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:39,040 Speaker 1: gonna call it as slow as Possible, and that became 73 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:42,040 Speaker 1: not just the title for this piece, but the actual 74 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:45,560 Speaker 1: purpose of the piece. So it was to take this 75 00:04:45,839 --> 00:04:50,320 Speaker 1: eight sheets of music that he composed that was as 76 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:54,640 Speaker 1: LSP and play it as slowly as you could. And 77 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:58,240 Speaker 1: it was very John Cage from what I understand to be, like, 78 00:04:58,400 --> 00:04:59,920 Speaker 1: I'm not going to tell you how slow to do. 79 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:03,359 Speaker 1: Figure out how what that means to you the artist. 80 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:07,200 Speaker 1: You interpret it however you want. The point is just 81 00:05:07,240 --> 00:05:10,200 Speaker 1: play it as slow as you can. And that is 82 00:05:10,680 --> 00:05:12,640 Speaker 1: one of his I think one of his more famous 83 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:16,440 Speaker 1: works as well too. Yeah, and this was I listened 84 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:21,360 Speaker 1: to a like eighteen minute version today. It is an 85 00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:24,040 Speaker 1: organ piece, obviously, it's called organ squared. An organ is 86 00:05:24,160 --> 00:05:27,320 Speaker 1: key because you're not You can't count on someone to 87 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:30,960 Speaker 1: blow into a saxophone for thirty minutes or three hours 88 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:33,960 Speaker 1: or six hundred and thirty nine years, but an organ 89 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:37,839 Speaker 1: as it makes a constant, consistent sound. And if you 90 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:40,880 Speaker 1: play this thing over eighteen minutes or whatever, you will 91 00:05:40,920 --> 00:05:44,600 Speaker 1: hear chord changes and you will hear something. But it's 92 00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:49,400 Speaker 1: still like people like Brian Eno come around and I 93 00:05:49,440 --> 00:05:51,960 Speaker 1: get the feeling. John Kade just like you know, here, 94 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:55,880 Speaker 1: hold my absence of beer, my invisible beer. Because you 95 00:05:55,920 --> 00:05:59,120 Speaker 1: think you're doing something artsy and weird. Get a load 96 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:01,800 Speaker 1: of this. I will think that probably John Cage is 97 00:06:02,080 --> 00:06:06,120 Speaker 1: one of Brian ENO's like like gods. Yeah, I think 98 00:06:06,120 --> 00:06:09,760 Speaker 1: they were buddies obviously. So so to kind of explain 99 00:06:09,839 --> 00:06:13,839 Speaker 1: this asl a s lsp um if you if you 100 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:17,560 Speaker 1: had the notes da da da dah, right, and you 101 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:21,480 Speaker 1: played them normally like that for as LSP that first 102 00:06:21,720 --> 00:06:25,480 Speaker 1: uh might last a minute and a half, and then 103 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:29,800 Speaker 1: the next one might last five minutes, the next there 104 00:06:29,839 --> 00:06:31,640 Speaker 1: and then they're like you said, there's chord changes, but 105 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:35,479 Speaker 1: they're just not close together. So it's like taking a 106 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:41,040 Speaker 1: compressed like normal song and spreading it out. Um. But 107 00:06:41,120 --> 00:06:43,560 Speaker 1: you're doing this in a live performance, so it's really 108 00:06:43,600 --> 00:06:46,559 Speaker 1: cool and that's the basis of it. Um. But there's 109 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:49,640 Speaker 1: there was an interpretation that came along of it that 110 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:54,000 Speaker 1: we're talking about today that wasn't actually created by John Cage. 111 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:58,640 Speaker 1: But it is the most John Cage idea that wasn't 112 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:01,400 Speaker 1: created by John Cage. One of the greatest homages I've 113 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:04,320 Speaker 1: ever heard to anybody. Yeah, I mean, if there's an 114 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:08,040 Speaker 1: avant garde music heaven, John Cage is still smiling at 115 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:11,520 Speaker 1: the idea that someone took his as slow as possible 116 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:15,160 Speaker 1: thing and really ran with it. And this was at 117 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:17,040 Speaker 1: the idea was sort of born. It sounds like at 118 00:07:17,080 --> 00:07:22,240 Speaker 1: a organ symposium in nineteen ninety eight when people were 119 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:24,960 Speaker 1: kind of saying like, well, again, it's an organ piece, 120 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:27,400 Speaker 1: we can go as slow as we want with this thing, 121 00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:31,080 Speaker 1: because you can make that sound forever if you've got, 122 00:07:31,200 --> 00:07:34,080 Speaker 1: you know, a can of beans to sit on a key. 123 00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:38,400 Speaker 1: And it's not like a piano string or it gets 124 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:40,640 Speaker 1: har string or a woodwind that will eventually fade away 125 00:07:40,640 --> 00:07:43,400 Speaker 1: even with the most sustained. So like, where can we 126 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:46,600 Speaker 1: take this thing? Like? How far into the future can 127 00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:50,440 Speaker 1: we take it? How long? They said, how far can 128 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:51,960 Speaker 1: we take it? How long can we make it? There 129 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:55,120 Speaker 1: should have been lyrics to this, and they said, well 130 00:07:55,120 --> 00:07:59,560 Speaker 1: how about this. There was this cathedral called Halberstots Cathedral 131 00:08:00,400 --> 00:08:05,160 Speaker 1: that was kind of where the organ was born, and 132 00:08:05,240 --> 00:08:07,520 Speaker 1: like the modern design for what we know as a 133 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:10,840 Speaker 1: keyboard took place, and they said, what a perfect place 134 00:08:11,640 --> 00:08:14,920 Speaker 1: to do this thing. And I will let you explain 135 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:18,120 Speaker 1: why it's six hundred and thirty nine years because that 136 00:08:18,320 --> 00:08:21,200 Speaker 1: is super kind of fun and John Cage would love it. 137 00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:24,280 Speaker 1: It's very generous of you, Chuck, thank you. Sure, I 138 00:08:24,320 --> 00:08:27,040 Speaker 1: will do that. So the reason it was the perfect 139 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:29,720 Speaker 1: place was because that first keyboard was created in thirteen 140 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:32,920 Speaker 1: sixty one and this organ symposium, I guess was happening 141 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:36,840 Speaker 1: around two thousand and they decided that what they would 142 00:08:36,880 --> 00:08:40,960 Speaker 1: do is use the millennium as a fulcrum between past 143 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:43,640 Speaker 1: and future. It's a good way to put it. Yeah, 144 00:08:43,679 --> 00:08:47,240 Speaker 1: and so they said, well, thirteen sixty one all the 145 00:08:47,240 --> 00:08:50,840 Speaker 1: way to two thousand is six hundred and thirty nine years. 146 00:08:51,320 --> 00:08:54,080 Speaker 1: So what we're going to do is honor both John 147 00:08:54,160 --> 00:08:58,040 Speaker 1: Cage and the creation of the modern keyboard back in 148 00:08:58,080 --> 00:09:02,800 Speaker 1: thirteen sixty one by putting on a performance in Halberstat 149 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:05,800 Speaker 1: where the organ was first created or the modern one 150 00:09:05,880 --> 00:09:10,120 Speaker 1: was of as LSP that will last six hundred and 151 00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:15,040 Speaker 1: thirty nine years. Pretty great. And again I'm sure John 152 00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:18,360 Speaker 1: Cage out there in the in the ether is just 153 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:23,040 Speaker 1: loving this. Just a couple of years ago, in September 154 00:09:23,600 --> 00:09:27,280 Speaker 1: of twenty twenty, they were like, it's time to change 155 00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:30,280 Speaker 1: the chord. And that's I don't know. Do you know 156 00:09:30,280 --> 00:09:33,760 Speaker 1: if they have a set, did they literally divide it out? Yeah, 157 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:38,160 Speaker 1: they're okay, So it's it's at an exactly timed yes, 158 00:09:38,520 --> 00:09:41,520 Speaker 1: interval between this one and the last one. Yeah, under 159 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:44,280 Speaker 1: normal circumstances, if you were playing as LSP, like you 160 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:45,840 Speaker 1: just play it as slow as you wanted to. But 161 00:09:45,920 --> 00:09:48,319 Speaker 1: because now they're trying to contain it within a certain time, 162 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:50,400 Speaker 1: they would have had to have calculated ahead of time, 163 00:09:50,800 --> 00:09:52,960 Speaker 1: so they did the math to make it even Stephen, 164 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:56,440 Speaker 1: I guess, and the chord change came up, came due 165 00:09:56,440 --> 00:09:59,280 Speaker 1: on September five, twenty twenty and a bunch of people. 166 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:02,679 Speaker 1: There's a couple of videos of it, one which is 167 00:10:02,720 --> 00:10:05,200 Speaker 1: the real thing. Another I don't know if you saw 168 00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:08,280 Speaker 1: this one, but it had the whole ceremony leading up 169 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:10,160 Speaker 1: to it, and right when it got to the chord 170 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:13,600 Speaker 1: change and went to a metal song. Oh really like 171 00:10:13,640 --> 00:10:17,360 Speaker 1: the they overdubbed it. Yeah, I got to see that one. 172 00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:21,080 Speaker 1: It's very surprising, all of it. So, yeah, so if 173 00:10:21,080 --> 00:10:24,600 Speaker 1: you were in this, if you visit this church in Halberstot, 174 00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:28,400 Speaker 1: you're just going to you there's an organ there that's 175 00:10:28,400 --> 00:10:30,720 Speaker 1: playing a single note and has been playing it for 176 00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:33,120 Speaker 1: maybe years. And actually, Chuck, I saw that the most 177 00:10:33,200 --> 00:10:37,000 Speaker 1: recent chord change was February fifth, twenty twenty two. So 178 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:39,720 Speaker 1: there's been a more recent one. Okay, yeah, so the 179 00:10:39,760 --> 00:10:42,160 Speaker 1: first one I think seven years before that, and then 180 00:10:42,280 --> 00:10:45,480 Speaker 1: two years after that. I'm not sure when the next 181 00:10:45,559 --> 00:10:48,280 Speaker 1: chord changes, but I'm sure you could find out. I 182 00:10:48,320 --> 00:10:50,959 Speaker 1: couldn't find out, but maybe you can. Oh, so it's 183 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:54,240 Speaker 1: not at a regular interval. Then no, so no, I'm sorry, 184 00:10:54,280 --> 00:10:59,040 Speaker 1: it's not so they basically are playing it. Yeah, they yes, 185 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:01,800 Speaker 1: it's not a regular interval. It's they figured out, like 186 00:11:01,840 --> 00:11:04,960 Speaker 1: this note should last this long, this note should last 187 00:11:05,160 --> 00:11:08,280 Speaker 1: so that the whole piece ends in twenty six forty 188 00:11:08,360 --> 00:11:12,680 Speaker 1: six hundred and thirty nine years after it started. Okay, wow, amazing. 189 00:11:12,800 --> 00:11:14,959 Speaker 1: It is amazing. Doesn't that make it even more amazing 190 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:17,840 Speaker 1: that it's not at regular intervals? Yeah? I figured it 191 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:21,000 Speaker 1: was like, you know, every one hundred and three years 192 00:11:21,040 --> 00:11:23,400 Speaker 1: will change the corrid or whatever. Yeah, no, I'm sorry 193 00:11:23,520 --> 00:11:25,520 Speaker 1: I didn't catch that. But that's so you can go 194 00:11:25,559 --> 00:11:28,320 Speaker 1: to this church and Halberd Stott and visit this organ. 195 00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:30,760 Speaker 1: That's right now as we speak, playing a single note, 196 00:11:30,760 --> 00:11:33,680 Speaker 1: and we'll be playing that note for probably years to come, 197 00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:37,200 Speaker 1: until the next chord change. I wonder if the interval 198 00:11:37,280 --> 00:11:41,880 Speaker 1: was based on the original squashed composition, like I wonder 199 00:11:41,920 --> 00:11:44,680 Speaker 1: if there was an interval that Cage had. In other words, yeah, 200 00:11:44,720 --> 00:11:48,080 Speaker 1: I wonder too. All right, not to look that up, 201 00:11:48,360 --> 00:11:50,880 Speaker 1: but it's pretty cool. So so one person put it 202 00:11:51,280 --> 00:11:53,920 Speaker 1: that the work is no longer on a human time scale, 203 00:11:54,520 --> 00:11:57,080 Speaker 1: and it can't be played by a single person any longer, 204 00:11:57,520 --> 00:12:00,800 Speaker 1: which is really cool because they say, like they likened 205 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:04,920 Speaker 1: it to building monuments in cathedrals, that those things took 206 00:12:05,040 --> 00:12:07,320 Speaker 1: hundreds of years in some cases and now no one, 207 00:12:07,400 --> 00:12:11,040 Speaker 1: single person or group of people built them. Generations did 208 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:16,320 Speaker 1: and that's what's going to happen with this composition being played. Amazing. 209 00:12:16,679 --> 00:12:19,360 Speaker 1: I think so too. It's good stuff, good pick, Chuck. 210 00:12:19,480 --> 00:12:21,520 Speaker 1: This is one of the coolest how Stuff Works articles 211 00:12:21,520 --> 00:12:24,200 Speaker 1: I've ever run across, So thanks for it. If you 212 00:12:24,240 --> 00:12:25,679 Speaker 1: want to know more about it, go check it out 213 00:12:25,679 --> 00:12:27,560 Speaker 1: on How Stuff Works John Cage in the six hundred 214 00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:30,480 Speaker 1: and thirty Year Long Concert, and then also check out 215 00:12:30,600 --> 00:12:34,559 Speaker 1: Universes in Universe. They have a little article on it 216 00:12:34,559 --> 00:12:37,640 Speaker 1: which is pretty informative. And since I said it's premie 217 00:12:37,720 --> 00:12:41,440 Speaker 1: informative everybody and Chuck said, yeah, that means short stuffs out. 218 00:12:45,200 --> 00:12:48,080 Speaker 1: Stuff you should know is a production of iHeartRadio. 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