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The City Wears A Slouch Hat

The City Wears A Slouch Hat

a review by simon hopkins of
release format The City Wears A Slouch Hat by John Cage (CD Album)

text

In 1942, the then-still-emerging young composer John Cage spent some time in Chicago; while there, he was approached by some officials from CBS Radio to collaborate on a radio play with the poet Kenneth Patchen. The play was to be called The City Wears A Slouch Hat and was a surrealistic take on the imaginary visit to Chicago by the Messiah. With typical far-sightedness, Cage composed a huge 250 page score which would incorporate the sounds of the city as part of the 'music' - a revolutionary notion then, and scarcely less so over half a century later.

Unfortunately, with only a week to go before the live broadcast, engineers at CBS informed Cage that his score was impractical on every level, and he had to perform an entirely new piece in only seven days. He decided to put together a piece for percussion group and sound effects. In the event the broadcast was quite a success and, significantly, its reception encouraged Cage to move to New York - an important turning point for him.

But this CD - the first commercial release of this broadcast - has far more than simply historical significance: City really is quite extraordinary, a frenetic collage-like summation of mid 20th Century urban life, with all its chaos, anger, exhilaration, illogic and speed. The CD also features two other pieces by Cage from the same period. Credo In Us for shortwave radios, prepared piano and percussion comes on like a bunch of especially talented children let loose in a music shop. It was originally composed for a Merce Cunningham duet, so that may well have been the idea. Imaginary Landscape, the first of a highly influential series, is a slightly earlier piece, from 1939. While composer-accompanist at the progressive Cornish School in Seattle, Cage had access to a (for then) highly advanced recording studio which allowed him access to electronic sound-makers. Imaginary Landscape, for electronics, prepared piano and percussion has something of the early science fiction soundtrack about it but is no less charming for that. Christ alone knows what it must have sounded like to Cage's contemporaries.

Top marks to the ever-quality Cortical Foundation for this impeccably mastered and package reissue. A final word of caution: this CD is strictly limited to 1000 copies worldwide, so get it while you can. Posted by simon hopkins at 00:00, 03 Nov 2000