Composer

:

John Cage

Genre

:

Keyboard

Style

:

Character Piece

Compose Date

:

1985

Average_duration

:

13:39

ASLSP (As Slow as Possible) is a musical composition by John Cage, which was composed in 1985. The piece was originally written for piano, but it has been adapted for various instruments and ensembles. The premiere of ASLSP took place in 2001 at the St. Burchardi Church in Halberstadt, Germany, and it is still ongoing. The main characteristic of ASLSP is its duration. The piece is meant to be played as slowly as possible, with no specific tempo or rhythm indicated in the score. The duration of the piece is left open-ended, and it is up to the performers to decide how long they want to play it. The current performance of ASLSP in Halberstadt is scheduled to last for 639 years, with each note lasting for several years. ASLSP is divided into several movements, each of which is meant to be played for a specific duration. The first movement, which lasts for two years, consists of a single note played on an organ. The second movement, which lasts for seven years, adds a second note to the first one. The third movement, which lasts for 14 years, adds a third note, and so on. Each movement is meant to be played on a different instrument, and the performers are free to choose which instruments they want to use. One of the main ideas behind ASLSP is the concept of indeterminacy, which was a central theme in Cage's work. By leaving the duration and tempo of the piece open-ended, Cage was challenging the traditional notions of musical composition and performance. He believed that music should be a process rather than a product, and that the act of performing the piece was just as important as the final result. Overall, ASLSP is a unique and groundbreaking piece of music that challenges our ideas about time, duration, and musical performance. Its ongoing performance in Halberstadt is a testament to the enduring power of Cage's vision and the transformative potential of music.

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