Month: September 2024

Cage was an American avant-garde composer and writer. In the 1930s, he began writing all-percussion pieces and proclaimed the use of noise as the next musical horizon. In 1938, he introduced the “prepared piano,” an instrument whose sound is radically modified by various objects placed on the strings. He developed the idea of indeterminacy, music that is not strictly controlled. The notorious 4’33”, probably his most famous piece, consists of 4 minutes and 33 seconds of what? Discuss

Wright was an American author whose works helped redefine discussions of race in the mid-20th century. The grandson of slaves, he grew up in poverty in the American south. The fictionalized autobiography Black Boy vividly describes his often harsh youth. He first came to wide attention in 1938 with a collection of short stories titled Uncle Tom’s Children and published his bestselling novel Native Son two years later. Why were some of his works reissued in 1991? Discuss

Sullivan is considered the father of modern American architecture. After working for several Chicago firms, he joined the office of Dankmar Adler in 1879, becoming Adler’s partner at age 24. Their 14-year association produced more than 100 buildings, many of them landmarks. During this period, Frank Lloyd Wright spent six years as an apprentice to Sullivan, who would be a major influence on the younger architect. What famous phrase did Sullivan coin to express his architectural philosophy? Discuss