It makes sense that an offbeat director such as Peter Greenaway (The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, Prospero's Books) would be attracted to a project such as 4 American Composers, a 1983 British television special profiling John Cage, Meredith Monk, Philip Glass, and Robert Ashley, four American musical artists who haven't been content simply to entertain, but feel compelled to "push the envelope" of music. This episode centers on a concert performed in England on John Cage's 70th birthday. Featured are partial performances (sometimes overlapping) of a number of pieces, including "Roaratorio" (with Cage as narrator), "Forever and Sunsmell," "Double Music," and others. Highlights include a performance by Marcel Duchamp and interview commentary by Cage and others.
by Steve Blackburn
synopsis
