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

2. According to Cage's essay on him, Erik Satie said who was not clumsy in his publicity?

3. In the "Strategy" section of "Forerunners of Modern Music," what term does Cage say "may be planned or improvised"?

4. Who did Yun Kiang meet while rambling to the east?

5. When was "Experimental Music" first presented?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the anecdote used at the conclusion of "Composition as Process--2: Indeterminacy" about Dr. Suzuki.

2. What does Cage say about finding facts on the life and work of Edgard Varese?

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

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. How does Cage think most people feel about experimentation?

7. What does Cage say about being associated with Dadaism and Zen in his Foreword?

8. How does Cage go about exploring the work of each composer he mentions in "Composition as Process--2: Indeterminacy"?

9. In the book's Foreword, how does Cage describe the way the writings and lectures in his book are written and presented?

10. What does Cage say about Varese in relation to the present nature of 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 contrast created in Cage's essay which is an imaginary conversation between himself and Erik Satie. Discuss the mathematical presence in Cage's parts in relation to the near-poetic sensibility revealed in Satie's part. Why do you think the author takes this tone for his parts? Do you think he is really so cold about Satie? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Explore Varese's significance in the book. How does Cage characterize Varese's work? Why does he say that he has established the present nature of music? What examples does he present to prove this statement? What does he say to claims that Varese is a figure of the past?

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