The composition 4'33" is written in three movements during which not a single note is played. Its musical content is rather all the sounds that appear during the performance of the piece.


Mexico City is one of the most noisy cities in the world. Its almost 20 million inhabitants cause a continuous sound-scape of car- and bus-traffic, street-venders, promotion-music from shops, street-musicians, and so on.



The idea behind 4'33" for Mariachi is as well to challenge the composition with this noisy urban environment, as to challenge this noisy city with this composition of "silence". The three movements were taken literally. Three different places in the public space of Mexico city were chosen to perform the piece there. Each of these three places has a different connotation of movement: Zocalo (pedestrian area), Metro station Bellas Artes and the traffic intersection Paseo de la Reforma / Hidalgo. At each of these places, one movement from the composition was played by a Mariachi band of seven musicians.



4'33'' for Mariachi  is a 2-channel video (each Full HD).

From friday afternoon on and throughout saturday, one will find quite a number of musicians and bands on the streets of center city Mexico DF. Some play for money, others play for playing, as spaces for band rehersals are scarce in this megapolis.


Eight musicians and bands were selected (due to their musical quality) and asked to perform 4‘33“. The performers were told to take on the inner attitude of being about to start playing, but actually not play and instead hold this tension for the duration of the performance.


The original tree-movement structure of the composition was ignored in favor of the individual interpretation of the performers.



Subterraneo FM  (rock, pop)

Serenatas  (Jazz)

Tri Jaz  (Jazz)

Tony Hop  (beatboxing)

Dude  (singer-songwriter)

LA Callemata  (garage, punk)

Pedro  (street-orgen)

Buena Vida Social Sound  (salsa, cumbia, merengue)


The result are 8 videos (each 4:33 min, HD720p)

4‘33“ for ...   2012

performance in public space / video

John Cages composition 4'33" was first performed by David Tudor in 1952. Though often referred to as "four minutes and thirty three seconds of silence" the composition isn't about silence at all. The musical content rather is all the sounds that happen while a musician (or an orchestra) doesn't play. The piece is written in three movements (33'', 2'40'', 1'20''):


   I

tacet

   II

tacet

  III

tacet


* "tacet" means: the instrument remains quiet


4‘33“ for Flashmob is the third part of the series. It was performed at Alexanderplatz in Berlin (D) on the 30th of december 2012. During this year, the musical, and philosophical accomplishments of this outstanding composer had been celebrated with conferences, festivals, performances, lectures and publications all over the world. The 4'33'' flashmob was an attempt to set a proper ending to the John-Cage-Year.


The flashmob was announced by different mailing lists and with the help of social media and viral promotion.


Video documentation: Full HD, 8:08 min

2012 was the year of John Cages 100th birthday. It also was the 20th anniversary of his death and the 60th anniversary of his famous composition 4'33".

4‘33“ for... is a three-part video and performance series. The adaption for public space is an homage to composition and composer.  


                                                Happy Birthday Uncle John

part_1    4‘33“ for Streetmusic  Mexico City

musicians:     „Mariachi2000“   Alan Jaco (violin), Jorge Ramirez (violin),

                      Julio Ramirez (violin), Miguel Adan (violin), Jesus Jaco (trumpet),

                      Cruz Jaco (Vihuela), Miguel Ramirez (Guitarron)

assistance:     Lorena Espitia Torres

support:          FONCA,  Goethe-Institut Mexico,  Centro Multimedia,  Werkleitz Gesellschaft

conductor:            Tomomi Adachi (JP)

camera:                Marie Pons (D), Emily Sweeney (US)

special thanks:     Sandra Naumann, Jan Thoben, William ‚Bilwa‘ Costa

                             and all musicans

assistance:     Lorena Espitia Torres

camera:          Michal Šeba

support:          FONCA,  Goethe-Institut Mexico,  Centro Multimedia,  Werkleitz Gesellschaft

part_3    4‘33“ Flashmob  Berlin

part_2    4‘33“ for Mariachi  Mexico City