The Roaring Silence : John Cage: A Life

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Summary: Read this to hear differently
Review: An essential book for anyone interested in John Cage's music or post-war classical music. It gives a comprehensive view of Cage's entire life as well as his thoughts on music, covering his time both before and after discovering Zen. David Revill writes in a matter of fact, straightforward manner, without infusing the book with his personal opinions, although his percussion background comes through when he describes the rhythmic details of Cage's compositions. Overall a fine introduction to Cage's thought, but be sure to hear his music as well.

Rating:
Summary: " "
Review: David Revill's book presents cage in a far more accessible manner than some previous biographies, not accessible in the aesthetic sense, but as ease of reading. Cage's work is frequently presented with lots of Cagean technical jargon. In other words, unless you've done a scholarly study and analysis of "Silence," they are difficult to understand. Revill brings Cage as a human being to the reader, without too much theory. Moreover, this book seems to show more intimately, Cage as a man-- not as name. I would highly recommend this book to both those seeking information for research, and understanding of Cage's complex aesthetic philosophy.