John Cage: Living Room Music (Score video)

The world was round...
Living Room Music is a musical composition by John Cage, composed in 1940. It is a quartet for unspecified instruments, all of which may be found in a living room of a typical house, hence the title (Pritchett, 1993, 20).
0:00 To Begin
1:15 Story
3:46 Melody
6:10 End
Living Room Music is dedicated to Cage's then-wife Xenia. The work consists of four movements: "To Begin", "Story", "Melody", and "End". Cage instructs the performers to use any household objects or architectural elements as instruments, and gives examples: magazines, cardboard, "largish books", floor, wooden frame of window, etc. The first and the last movements are percussion music for said instruments. In the second movement the performers transform into a speech quartet: the music consists entirely of pieces of Gertrude Stein's short poem "The World Is Round" (Pritchett, 1998) spoken or sung. The third movement is optional. It includes a melody played by one of the performers on "any suitable instrument."
Gert Sorensen, percussion
Grupo Ars Nova
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[@cobblestonegenerator]

Imagine how terrifying it would be to have this presented as a sightreading rhythm assignment.

[@Temulgeh]

a percussionist's life

[@Koffingrockz]

I remember having do story in my third level of sightsinging

[@richardfinn5354]

yeah so hard......8th notes over quarter notes and a couple bars of 16th notes.....terrifying

[@EmmanuelIstace]

@@richardfinn5354 Imho, you definitively read it wrong to say that :/ Or not entirely and all parts :(

[@kennedyr.4483]

Id cry

[@amatiousprocex]

Have you ever had a dream where, you wanted to, you , you wanted, you wan- wante, you wanted

[@solarprogeny6736]

you a could a could you could a could

[@MattWeisherComposer]

You want him to do you so much you could do ANYTHING?!

[@DASyam-tb7qt]

FRE SH AVO CADO!

[@diegoandreuccioli7992]

man you described with words my recurring dream/nightmare, im astonished and a bit scared

[@prishaak4490]

LMAO that one part where the person goes you it you it you it you it you it you it repeatedly

[@rylanhudson9319]

Imagine you’re in 1940 and walk in seeing some people playing the cup song and then proceed to summon a demon

[@samspence687]

tiiiiiiiime

[@ethanchirdon9375]

@@samspence687 rooooooound

[@ItsSomeDeadGuy]

AROUND AND AROUND AND AROOOOOUND

[@AssistantCoreAQI]

@@ItsSomeDeadGuy YOU IT YOU IT YOU- COUL- AND A COULD- AND YOU IT-

[@james.housego]

The second movement is like a fever dream

[@ETMusic2]

My freshman year of studying composition I tried to write a very similar piece to this movement. Oddly enough, I wasn't aware of this piece yet, so it was a surprising experience to learn that someone else had executed my idea more effectively than I did before I'd even come up with it.

[@james.housego]

@@ETMusic2 classic example of pluralism

[@amadumbass9916]

Dude now that that i think about it,it really does!

[@natatouille310]

Tiiiiime

[@E-FederalBureauofInvestigation]

Watched it like 50 times when i was high as shit

[@Ceruleanst]

I get the impression that Cage wanted to make music from samples before there were samples. You can imagine making this by cutting up one or two takes of the vocalists reciting the entire coherent sentence. And of course the percussion is of the same spirit as the videos one sees today where the clip of, say, a cabinet door slamming shut will appear in its quadrant every time it is used in the music.

[@crysiscore2051]

Technically speaking sampling is a postmodern tradition of re-appropriating previous art and "remixing." So I would agree that Cage, the quintessential postmodern composer, was pursuing a similar end.

[@bsharpmajorscale]

You mean, like YTPMVs? The true musical art form of KZbin?

[@jameswhitley4101]

He could also be riffing off older Baroque ideas in that second movement; its basically like how in any movement in the Messiah, Handel will take just a couple lines, one verse, and stretch it out through the entire piece by repeating different parts with different voices and harmonies. The main difference is Handel and his contemporaries did this to emphasize meaning, whilst Cage seeks to obfuscate

[@kevinbirge2130]

Einar Amund 0 I agree. Cage is anticipating so much here that it’s tough to unpack.

[@no-rq7fp]

Pseudo-intellectuals and their tryhard cult of the absurd and stupid be like:

[@vivaseussonhos]

in the second mov. my parents got into my room to see what was wrong with me.

[@calebginsberg5224]

Амадей Моцарт “get”

[@meletus4487]

take off your glasses

[@calm.aware.]

Just change to a browser tab with porn quickly. Much more easy to explain....

[@Xeppeling]

It’s because you weren’t listening to it in the living room

[@joaotravassosmusic]

Hahahahahaha

[@pallasproserpina4118]

I do love that the voice parts for “story” are absolutely soprano, alto, tenor, and bass just. Spoken.

[@LukeFaulkner]

No idea why, but I have a feeling the person saying time was called Brian.

[@manuelbes]

Lmao true

[@BrianPaick]

Yeah, it was me

[@gustavgnoettgen]

@@BrianPaick here we go, "Briiian". See you in Disneyland! Bring money.

[@hydrodragonn7385]

TIIIIIIME

[@SkanderBibani]

Brian Eno? For sure :D

[@hannahwillard5472]

I heard this live once, with a whole setup with a couch and coffee table and stuff. Pretty fun!! They memorized it though, which was the coolest part

[@Dane23232]

not for your average living room with those extended quintuplets lol

[@sebastianzaczek]

Don't even get me started on These off-beat triplets

[@Arthur-qe8xc]

If this was my living room, I'd stay in school till the next day

[@Wilsonminshall]

Screaming

[@MaladyKayjo]

“You it” sounds like a violent insult

[@Snake_In_The_Box]

The Yakking Wakko yeet

[@MaladyKayjo]

@Gabby Bennett what does that have to do with anything here?

[@jacques9515]

Vittu

[@chris-hayes]

I wasn't really sure why KZbin was recommending this to everyone, and then the second movement happened.

[@morganminecraftlegion9101]

Nobody: KZbin recommendations at nearly midnight:

[@bosch5303]

Its 1:30 and I'm sick af so its appriciated

[@DzNuts404]

11:12 pm right now

[@beckyyule1228]

Its 11:25 and i need to sleep, but when YT tells me to listen to banging on household objects, i obey

[@gabrielgalvis6697]

Number 15 it’s 2;15. I’m not sure why I haven’t closed the video yet but it’s still there

[@bbaby7102]

It’s 5am and I’m loving it

[@luciadick1599]

this man loves sound unconditionally

[@quinn7894]

Also this man: *makes piece consisting of just silence*

[@whatsthatnoise5955]

​@@quinn7894no such thing though, that's the point

[@ShevkoMore]

There is a video of his interview on 4'33" where he directly confirms it

[@hb3393]

Cage invented techno, absolute madman

[@NateSassoonMusic]

minimal techno

[@Firguy_the_Foot_Fetishist]

He also invented turntablism.

[@MusicSounds]

Technoblade never dies

[@justfuntimedoingnothing8477]

He invented many genres: ambient, concrete music, techno, Industrial, breakbeat and etc

[@owengette8089]

The guy saying “tiiiiime” just has a voice making me think, “Bueller? Bueller?”

[@DrSaav-my5ym]

It fucking cracks me up, I can't listen to this piece with a strait face.

[@jaysonklein6018]

Not gonna lie: this was REALLY cool to listen to.

[@nathanhol42001]

This is so is so is so this is so is so trippy so trippy is so is so trippy so trippy this is trippy is trippy this is this is so is so trippy is so is so is so is trippy this is so trippy is this so is trippy so this But to be honest, this might be my favorite John Cage composition.

[@LLJVBass]

Me during 1st movement: Neat Me 5 seconds into the 2nd: That's enough of that.

[@03Venture]

L. A.V. True that!

[@KlldbyCuriosity]

Second movement is the best rap ever, change my mind

[@user-gl7qx1ww6r]

beat goes hard

[@Wander4P]

Sometimes I really love where KZbin recommended takes me

[@sambennett9769]

I think I died for 8 minutes and then came back.

[@jackfogarty5989]

Picking a part an clapping along is keeping me entertained for way longer than it should

[@thePettiest1]

I love the second movement. Since this one has lyrics it's also super interesting to listen to how the voices pronounce and emphasize the same words differently. Honestly it's great... But, holy shit ^^' It also sounds like these people are just all having a seizure at the same time

[@tsquaredtest1]

Once up-on a time KZbin's Algorithm goes Round and a-round to unite us once more

[@no_special_person]

Woah, underrated comment right here

[@knox4641]

I played along perfectly... For the first beat

[@S_Carol]

So basically, this guy invented samples and beats as we (nearly) know them nowadays. Just 80yrs early

[@gldweller1324]

Such a relaxing piece , i listen to this every time i go to school

[@bradywalton1357]

Anthony Dima you good bro?

[@ethanhill9460]

@@bradywalton1357 He's excellent.

[@literallybillieswife4520]

My music teacher had to photocopy music today so he put this on to entertain us. Thank you Mr Hawkins

[@lincolny2220]

Beatboxing in _1940_ This man was ahead of his time

[@IronDragon1337]

The third movement was literally just a construction site with a synthesizer

[@bondfall0072]

The idea of a construction site being more in sync then my band makes me sad.

[@michaelroach4219]

Interesting.I often think that so much music is boring and repetitive, but this beatnik jive definitely isn't.

[@amerikagaijin]

For me the meaning is once upon a time you could freely go around the world. Now there are restrictions and you may not move freely. The world used to be round.

[@wobblyorbee279]

2:14 "you it, you IT!!!! you IT >:( you ITTT!!!" meanwhile theres "around and aRound, aROUND and AROUND" I LAUGHED SO HARD LOL XDDD

[@magnesium8996]

And a could and a could AND A COULD

[@RobbieLugos]

4 minutes and 33 seconds of silence for those still looking for this song.

[@johnmanno2052]

HYSTERICAL!!! Cage was fabulous! I miss him

[@jcorn104]

It’s a Friday night. I’m sitting in my living/dining room (it’s all one room). I played “part 4” on my dining room table. Or sang along with in the third movement. Don’t become a musician, kids, this what your life looks like.

[@007blond]

1:59 flat earthers: *incoherent screaming*

[@gustavgnoettgen]

When uncle Fat Boy Slim comes for a visit and you steal one of his cough drops while the adults are busy talking.

[@KawaiiPotatoYT]

I wonder what that mysterious ticking sound is…

[@mosesembrey323]

The recommendation algorithm is a strange and unpredictable mistress

[@cubycube9924]

One of the pieces of all time

[@Adam.Frazier]

One upon a time a once upon a time

[@lthrtim]

The third note of the melody (at 3m49s) is a semitone flat!ll The same phrase occurs (this time played correctly) at 4m15s.

[@Microtonal_Cats]

One of the most intensely music geek comments ever.

[@parislovesrachmaninoff]

The rhythms are quite catchy

[@Diegotiplero]

That whole tone scale on mov. 3 causes a weird feeling of unease.

[@ignazachenbach5406]

This is a lot less experimental than Cage's other works, it seems. I like it. (Not that I don't like his more experimental stuff, but this is "easier on the ears.")

[@Agaveo_Productions]

Irritating, irreverent ... that inspires creativity! You can't avoid to listen all even if you want to stop the video ! Curiosity and Amusement! I like it! Thank you for uploading.

[@giocosovelasco]

"give me a second eye, I need to get my story straight..."

[@Manas-co8wl]

Me: I'm full Grandma: 3:11

[@toprak3479]

lmao

[@JessArguet]

Underrated comment

[@antfaz]

This comment!!! 😂😂👌🏾👌🏾

[@pianissimo5951]

this is like "bored in a house" via 1940

[@pacoestrada1481]

This thing it's truly hipnotic, but really great!!!

[@bbaby7102]

can’t tell if I love the second movement or hate it

[@erdmannelchen8829]

. R O D U N

[@blakedegraw7958]

As great as this is, its visual presentation makes it 20x more enjoyable. Saw a performance of it in the lobby of Benaroya Hall in Seattle, performed by members of the Seattle symphony. There was not a single smile-less face in the audience. Best general vibes I’ve ever felt at a concert. (Proceeded by Feldman’s Rothko Chapel, which promptly washed that vibe away, lol.)

[@alexandreb.desaadami9160]

I've always liked to make fun of people who liked John Cage, but this is really cool

[@albertoguevara9877]

Best sitcom ever!

[@lynnlo]

Oh boy, 4 voice poly rhythms.

[@kerriprice4152]

Thank you for this. I have been dying to find a John Cafe piece to perform. I am definitely doing a cover of this!

[@unabatedbasher]

Why do I find this relaxing

[@LuckyLootCrate]

Does anyone know any other pieces in the same style as movement 2? I’ve heard of Geographical Fugue and I’m really interested to hear more stuff like it

[@maxvinetz]

Caroline Shaw's Partita for 8 Voices

[@maximilianazendorf]

Rautavaara - Ludus verbalis

[@KawaiiPotatoYT]

Potter Puppet Pals and the Ticking Time Bomb

[@djlombano]

Any of Robert Ashley's operas

[@robinhannon3488]

Einstein On The Beach

[@juankgonzalez6230]

The second movement... It's the true power of Requiem...

[@gccwang24]

How many of the dislikes do you think were flat earthers?

[@amadumbass9916]

I love this piece cant wait to learn this piece with my family!!

[@bokgarol7751]

summary of this song: moving furniture, what, and banging on a keyboard

[@kacemchawqi5787]

It’s more like an asmr video xD

[@nathanhol42001]

Kacem Mephisto pretty close

[@markgoggin4776]

Story was pretty dope

[@TwiceToldCinema]

1:15 Sampling before sampling

[@frankieking6980]

My reactions to each movement 1st:... ok, so sort of like stomp 2nd: uhhhh wtf is happening now!?!? 3rd movement: why did you introduce a musical instrument all of a sudden!?!? O-O End: ... so I see were heading back to the first movement huh... ok (no idea what's happening anymore)... Overall:... well, time to go think about what I'm doing with my life seeing as how I actually watched the entirety of this video...

[@TomD67]

Very interesting -- thanks for posting this! I note that on the first page of "Melody," the D# is played as a D. In the rest of the piece, the D# is played accurately. I wonder why this variation from the score is made?

[@bobjeffmcmac7457]

NERD

[@bobjeffmcmac7457]

ok i kinda feel bad now..

[@nada1.380]

I need the answer to this

[@cecelianydam1375]

what does youtube recommendations have against me? 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@CalamityInAction]

Cecelia Nydam It is a good thing. Avant-garde music is great. Also we both made it on this video at similar times

[@diabl2master]

Once upon a time the world was round and I could go on it.

[@PutItAway101]

That cheesy old school Rick Wright warbly organ

[@DaGuys470]

The perfect beat for a lit techno remix ;)

[@alenpoehlman5913]

KZbin really going crazy with their recomendations now

[@alexhines3049]

Me: KZbin Recommended: *Could* *a* *and* *a* *COULD*

[@tvndvne]

This is so goood....!!!!! I love the... Could and a... a and Could and a....

[@rominaroele6495]

Thank You very much for shareing the score 💗 I love it 💖

[@hammercollege023]

Such a beautiful techno music xD

[@masdyrenee1328]

I low key want to see TwoSet do this

[@awfrick2118]

absolute madman

[@clarkharrell2227]

Damn this is groovy.

[@downfromkentuckeh]

Ironic that its rythm music and I cannot follow the beat to save my life

[@ripinpepperonies9754]

Offbeat quintuplets trolololol

[@Evensong_Conductor]

3:46 Isn't the third note a half step off from what's written?

[@seheyt]

Funky Pants Yes. I like it better than the original but the rest of the track has the note as written. Very very weird (how would this go unnoticed?!)

[@a_nick_t]

Cage was awesome!

[@OneGuyWhoIsExisting]

Although it’s weird, somehow I like it

[@ilovebeingprecious]

I remember reading The Story in choir practice hahaha

[@RizalBudiLeksono]

Awesome composition

[@MatthewHenderson1]

john cage would love hip hop

[@epithayadarcithia2117]

“And you and it and you could go on it”

[@riddentemple]

who's watching 6 months into quarantine?

[@huntermorgan6177]

I love vocal warmups

[@Michaelhanmusic]

Yup. This is definitely a piece that was written.

[@polina5918]

TAAAAAAAAIM!

[@fredericpelloud7536]

Some practice meditation. I prefer to listen to John Cage.

[@marcusatiusvirilis7723]

wow this is really ahead of its time for 1940

[@Microtonal_Cats]

0:45 I swear some of this rhythm was used by Young Marble Giants in their pop song "Wurlitzer Jukebox."

[@near-br6yd]

I had to perform this for aural theory

[@petersonnormil6799]

Did you pass?

[@near-br6yd]

Peterson Normil We did, somehow!

[@IronDragon1337]

I couldn’t handle this bs

[@kacemchawqi5787]

3:52 (Bar 2 melody) is there a mistake ? shouldn't it be D sharp ?

[@Adam.Frazier]

No mistake if there’s an accidental on a tie you don’t write another accidental if it had been a slur to a d natural you would write a natural sign

[@jimmyjackson8328]

This is incredibly entertaining

[@redacted7998]

*tiiiiime*