Some of "The Harmony of Maine" (1978)

This piece for solo organ is one of Cage's "imitations", this time based on The Harmony of Maine by Supply Belcher, hence its title. The Harmony of Maine is a collection of hymns from the late 1700s; Cage uses chance procedures to delete some notes, extend or shorten others, alter the registration of the organ, etc. So this is in the tradition of other imitations like Cheap Imitation, Hymns and Variations, and Quartets I-VIII. If you enjoy those, check this out, and vice versa.

As in those other pieces, the result of Cage's modifications is a composition whose melodic and harmonic content is surprisingly (for Cage) consonant and traditional, but that doesn't really go anywhere, doesn't develop musically. There is no tension and release, no emotional development, there are no cadences and no memorable melodies. If you've heard the first minute, you'll know exactly what to expect of the next forty minutes.

Cage's technique strips almost everything away, leaving only a ghost of the original: a collection of notes that seem to float in the ether, unconnected to each other, and an impression of its overall mood. Or at least what I guess is its overall mood: I have never actually heard The Harmony of Maine (I did look it up on youtube but couldn't find any videos), but this piece clearly retains the religious overtones. The melodies are solemn and hymn-like; and, of course, the use of the organ immediately brings a monastic atmosphere to the music. Indeed, I think that the organ was an excellent choice in general. Aside from being well-suited to the religious theme, the weighty, magisterial quality of its sound contrasts beautifully with the unrelenting stillness of the composition. I always feel like organs are saying something deep and important, about God, or marriage, or death. Yet here the organ says nothing. It goes nowhere.

I also love the different variety of timbres that the organ produces. Since each note is allowed to ring out for a fairly long time, you can really focus on the various colours of the sounds. (With Cage's more traditional pieces, instrumentation can make a big difference. It's interesting to compare the version of this piece for guitar, produced by Marc Ribot, which can be heard here. As much as I like Ribot, I think this works far better on organ.) A lovely piece. Big thumbs up from me.