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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who had 12 tones and governed the La Domaine Musicale, according to Cage's essay on Erik Satie?

2. What composer wrote "The Art of the Fugue"?

3. Cage recalls his Aunt Marge saying she loved what more than her husband?

4. In the "Definitions" section of "Forerunners of Modern Music," what term is "the means of controlling the continuity from note to note"?

5. "The Future of Music: Credo" was first printed to accompany a recording from whom?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Cage describe the creation of "Music for Piano"?

2. What does Cage believe the future holds for sounds that are heard on a regular basis?

3. How did painter Willem de Kooning respond when asked what painters of the past had influenced him?

4. How much concern do Cage and his colleagues seem to have about how their work is perceived and received by its hearers?

5. Describe what Cage said about the French and the Italians in a conversation he recalls having at a Venetian restaurant.

6. What does Cage say about Erik Satie's relevance?

7. Why does Cage format "Erik Satie" in a way where he and Satie never hear what the other is saying?

8. Why does the author say he is grateful to Richard K. Winslow?

9. How does Cage feel about writing his article about Erik Satie, as portrayed in the article?

10. How does Cage describe the way Christian Wolff wrote music?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explore the author's feelings on the nature of sound. What does Cage say about sound in "Experimental Music: Doctrine"? What does he say about the nature of sound? What does he say about interpreting it?

Essay Topic 2

Explore the first-person perspective used in the book. How would Cage's lessons on music and art be different if they were written from a third-person perspective, like they would be in a text book? What could the reader gain from a less personal perspective? What is gained from the first-person perspective that Cage uses instead?

Essay Topic 3

Based on the three anecdotes after "Composition as Process--III: Communication," what is Cage saying about having expectations? What expectations are not being met? Does Cage seem to agree with the feelings expressed by the people in his anecdotes? How clear is his message about expectations? What techniques does he use to make his point?

(see the answer keys)

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