John Cage 4'33''

This is a great clip with a full orchestra performing John Cage's famous piece called 4'33''. I had never actually heard it (or seen it) so this YouTube video made me very happy. It is stunning. BBC Four is ecstatic at the end!



John Cage put his Zen Buddhist beliefs into practice through music. His favorite Japanese Zen Buddhist saying was Nichi nichi kore ko nichi -Every day is a good day.

Cage’s discovery of Taoism and ultimately Zen Buddhism, introduced to him by the Japanese scholar DT Suzuki, had a great effect on him. Wikipedia has more details.

Cage visited Japan several times, to meet DT Suzuki, and his An Autobiographical Statement was written for the Inamori Foundation and delivered in Kyoto as a commemorative lecture when he received the Kyoto Prize in November 1989.

PBS made a documentary about John Cage with clips as part of its American Masters series.

Enjoy the silence.