John Cage - Imaginary Landscape No. 1

dataGuy

I'm trying to determine the recording date for the version of the John Cage track "Imaginary Landscape No. 1" [length 8:21]  found on the lp "Early Modulations: Vintage Volts" [released in 1999]. 
According to a couple of sources the recording date range of the material on the various artists album is 1953 - 1967. The John Cage work was composed in 1939. 

I did find some notes from a privately issued album of recordings made at the "25-Year Retrospective Concert of the Music of John Cage", at Town Hall, New York, May 15, 1958. This album claims to be the first release of "Imaginary Landscape No, 1" [length 9:00]. If that is accurate the version on "Early Modulations" would have to be later than 1958 but before 1967.

Does anyone here have more information about this track? 

rostasi

The recording is of the Jan Williams conducted "Maelström Percussion Ensemble" from
May 28 - June 1, 1995 at the Slee Concert Hall, University of Buffalo. There's a HatArt
recording of the 5 I.L. works, including this one, with Anthony Braxton performing on I.L. 5.

dataGuy

Thanks for that info. You could be correct. However, supposedly the works on the compilation were all recorded before 1968. Also the track lengths differ [8:45 vs. 8:21] but close enough that it could be the same recording. Not sure how accurate it is but the compilation claims the track in question was performed by John Cage.

rostasi

I don't have the "Early Modulations..." disc handy, but if it really is Cage performing (with Xenia and others), then it would be the 1958 recording - the only recorded and released one with this lineup. It would sound like the very live recording that it is - distant and hollow sounding. Is there a YouTube of what you are hearing? That would help me.

rostasi

Here's the 1958 version of the only recorded version of Cage performing I.L.



I think if you remove the audience reaction at the end and silence at the beginning, it probably comes closer to the timing you mentioned.

I only mentioned the Jan Williams version because that's what they say it is at the Cage site.

dataGuy

First, thanks very much for helping me to figure this out. Great youtube find; isn't that a great cover photo. It is differently not the same recording. Now I know, wasn't sure.

I haven't yet found a youtube from Early Modulations: Vintage Volts. However there is a sample on Allmusic that sounds correct.

dataGuy

Found this in youtube:


It does sound like the same track. There is quite a bit of silence at the end which would account for the different length. As I presumed the compilation information was off.

Thanks for your help @rostasi based on listening to the videos I think you had it right at the beginning.

rostasi

Good! Glad you found it. Sorry I didn't have the "...Vintage Volts" at hand, but, really, there've been so many compilations of electronic music released in the past 15 to 20 years - probably due to younger people's interest coming from the outer edges of techno, IDM, etc. - that it becomes a blur as to the sources for everything. John's always been the most important person in my life as well as a personal friend during his last 20 years on the planet. Yes, the CD release of the "... 25-Year..." concert has a nice cover photo. The original recording, of which I have two copies, is very minimal (or "boring" - ha!), but still they're landmark recordings of an era that we don't experience anymore ... thankfully.

dataGuy

I appreciate your knowledge in this area. The compilation implied that the recordings would be from much earlier than 1995  

Very cool that you got to know John Cage personally. I'm not super familiar with his works. What I have read about/heard is certainly mind blowing; at least from a conceptual/technical level.