Page 66 - Studio International - July-August 1969

ject do the illustrations live happily together. with boating on the Barrage Zola, the dam in contribu ( talking
Of the eighty-six reproductions only fom;:teen that in the 1850s formed part of that earthly about the commentaries) does not seem to be
are referred to in the text, and then the refer­ paradise inhabited by those two inseparables, by stro e force
ence is not always correct. For example, the Zola and Cezanne. Only protest on an inter­ and social conscience. Which be just as
text page 277 refers to Apples and oranges as national scale can now save the physical roots well. Probably a doctrinaire 'art in the service
Plate III (in colour), whereas the correct of Cezanne's art from destruction in the name of the people' would turn out as malformed as
reference should be to figure 49. Figure 75, a of Progress. 'Peking Opera Singing with Piano Accompani­
full-page reproduction of a photograph of R, W, RATCLIFFE ment' any no
Cezanne humbly seated before his eat friend they are ( or
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Pissarro ( the most moving illustration in the e and this what indicates that
book, important in that it documents a vital Jo and· something should be done about it) with our
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stage in Cezanne's development in the 1870s), revolution c net­
is placed in the chapter 'The Matured Artist works.
(1897- 9 )' instead of where it belongs, at the Notations by John Cage, desi gn ed by Alison ho 'Scratch Orchestra' -
beginning of the chapter 'Forward with Pis­ Knowles. A collection of music manuscripts, which will certainly use Notations as a source­
sarro (1873-6)', which contains reproductions illustr�ted in monochrome. Something Else book t comp that are
of works dating from 1870 to the 1890s. Press, New York. $15.00. fully r it as ho of
But the worst muddle of all is in the Notes and to
Bibliography. Unlike his book on Turner, Notations is a book you look at a number of rem public's by providin a
Lindsay's Cezanne has no number references times. So far I have looked into it thrice, and stream m events.
in the text to the crowded, difficult-to-decipher each time written a 'review'. It may not be able to compete quantitatively
notes at the end of the book, where only chap­ FIRS REVIEW with the canned and commercial music hordes
ter and section headings are provided. Before What can you do with a book like Notations by but will far in candour
each section the reader should scan the notes John Cage? This beautifully designed white and spontaneity.
to avoid the frustrations the main text occas­ coffee-table item could be rechopped into inter in or
ionally causes through its lack of numbered particles of manuscript by 269 composers, who
references. Authors' names appear in the Notes shufHed in a ballot box and redistributed would like to receive details of its constitution
but not always in the Bibliography. The three amongst them. should write to Cardew, 112 Elm Grove Road,
and a half pages of the latter contain at least The commentary-collaged words by the same SW13.)
thirty-eight errors. For example, the G. 269 composers-is a problem; since it's un­ Ca h a his
Riviere entries on page 35 7 refer to the writ­ masticable you just have to swallow it. progeny, widely scattered as they are through­
ings of three different authors (who have that SECOND REVIEW Some­
surname but different Christian names). L. A few years ago I predicted, like some crazy w a anecdot the
Rosenthal is correctly given as the author of scientist, that 'the writing down of music is in detai revol have
Du Romanticisme au realisme (should be roman­ process of disinte ating'. Now Notations pro­ been relega nebu I
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tisme), and, incorrectly, as the author of Le vides experimental evidence in support of this that he and many other contributors
Tradition of le Cubisme (written by L. Rosen­ hypothesis. to this volume are being absorbed into the lax
berg). This mixture of English and French Once a neat swimming-pool frequented and (r educa of
occurs throughout the book with the titles of maintained by Masters, music notation has America. P (which under present con­
Zola's novels. There are at least eighty other now entered a wonderful phase of anarchy. ditions tends to inefficacy) or teaching or both
misprints that should have been eradicated Cracks appear and the water leaks out over are th experimental
at the proof-reading stage: for example, Gour­ the surrounding countryside inviting one and composer has to face. The universit compo­
bet and Monticelli become Cournet and Mon­ · all to wet their toes in it, but providing no to
tivelli in the Index. The worst mistake of all is opening for. a healthy swim. Any means­ com a let
on page 329 where the wrong order of words musical, verbal, aphic, collage-are available his onl emasculates
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completely alters the meaning of the quota­ to the lost soul fortunate enough to get preg­ re re­
tion: Maurice Denis should tell us how nant with a musical idea. moves him from the sphere where desperation
Cezanne substituted representer for reproduire Nam June Paik's Danger Musikfor Dick Hig­ could b action and an exces­
(not the other way round as printed). gins is an example: A photo aph of a piece of s o theoret specula­
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But it would be unfair to the author to end unidentifiable material ( described in the book L ma the wors most
with these annoying misprints, for in a sen­ as 'mended tissue') has scrawled on it the effective was obviousl con­
sitive discussion of Cezanne and his feelings instruction: 'Creep into the VAGINA of a ceived with the best of intentions.
or relations to the peasant models for his Card Living WHALE'. I like to imagine Higgins End of di ession.
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players, Lindsay rightly reminds us of the life­ crawling back out nine months later clutching The ju Cage, perso and in all
long importance of Cezanne's roots in Pro­ Notations by John Cage (Higgins is the founder/ his submusical activ (like the present col­
ven<;al soil. Regrettably, of the three repro­ director of Something Else Press). lec towa pacifism
ductions that are not after Cezanne works, THIRD REVIEW and is spreading lasting joy and a
none illustrates the Proven<;al landscape, the A valuable aspect of this book is the fact that passing acquaintance with the rules of Bridge,
visual, physical starting point for many it delineates an area of activity that is ex­ and if I can't have the first without the second
Cezanne paintings. In the 1930s it was still tremely alive and yet extremely uncommercial by God I'll buy the Meanwhile his
possible to explore the hills around Aix and ( discounting a sprinkling of contributions by to sp revolution,
record in photo aphs some of the character, Stravinsky, Milhaud, Bliss and so on). Cage's which will i gn ite spontaneously.
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the grandeur of the landscape so dear to role in the world of music is well captured by 'bio de im­
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Cezanne. Now, at the end of the 1960s, the the I-Ching instruction he once received to portant as they somewhat counterbalance the
little that remains of the incredibly varied 'spread joy and revolution', and this book is a preceding remarks.
terrain-Cezanne's favourite area to the east wonderful testimonial to the thoroughgoing Ca t idea c of
of Aix, Le Tholonet-is threatened with the nature of his performance of it. Whether the mean money
urban development that has already engulfed revolutionary activity in the performing arts (through exhibition or sale) for the Founda­
theJas de Bouffan and the Atelier des Lauves. over the past fifteen years is of a kind to emerge tion for the Performing Arts, which he was
Readers of Lindsay's survey of Cezanne's life from the Under ound and take militant instrumental in founding and which has
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should hasten to Aix before it is too late, action against the dis acefully subsidized materially helped many· young performing
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before the mountain of La Sainte Victoire concert industry (and other institutions) is a artists in doing what they want to do, mostly
becomes merely the setting for a tourist centre moot point. The high level of intellectual perform. Notations presents a representative
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