M Ted, I have been to a live performance of 4'33", and I might be willing to admit that there is some point to it when the visual aspect is included. However, I find the idea of "listening" to the work on radio absolutely ridiculous. After all we have nothing tangible to prove that the piece was actually performed. Can you prove that my comments about tempi and intonation were actually a piss-take ?

I have sung in choruses for many relatively avant garde compositions, some I have loved and some I positively hated. At least I think that I could make a pretty good stab at performing 4'33" myself without too much rehearsal or practice - perhaps one of it's redeeming features. I gather that Andre Previn fell out with Cage because he queried whether it made any difference just how expensive a performer he engaged to play it.

There are plenty of pieces of music by Stockhausen and other composers that I would not wish to hear a second time, but at least you can hear them. I was actually at the UK premiere of "Gruppen" which completely overstretched the number of members of the BBC Symph. percussion section (and the space available in the RAH) so was fully in agreement with general comment "Not so much a concert - more an obstacle race". On the other hand give me a chance to sing the Poulenc Gloria (not really avant garde, but composed about the same time) and I'll be there.