John Cage and Peter Yates

Correspondence on Music Criticism and Aesthetics

Martin Iddon

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN:
  9781108480062
• eBook ISBN:
  9781108571777
• Topic: Media & Performing Arts
• Subtopic: Music History & Criticism

The correspondence between composer John Cage and Peter Yates represents the third and final part of Cage's most significant exchanges of letters, following those with Pierre Boulez and with David Tudor. Martin Iddon's book is the first volume to collect the complete extant correspondence with his critical friend, thus completing the 'trilogy' of Cage correspondence published by Cambridge. By bringing together more than 100 letters, beginning in 1940 and continuing until 1971, Iddon reveals the dialogue within which many of Cage's ideas were first forged and informed, with particular focus on his developing attitudes to music criticism and aesthetics. The correspondence with Yates represents precisely, in alignment with Cage's fastidious neatness, the part of his letter writing in which he engages most directly with the last part of his famous tricolon, 'composing's one thing, performing's another, listening's a third'.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-title page
• Series page
• Title page
• Copyright page
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Note on the Text
• List of Abbreviations
• Introduction
• 1 John Cage to Peter Yates, undated [Thursday] [Summer 1940?], handwritten
• 2 John Cage (288 17th Avenue, San Francisco) to Peter Yates, December 24, 1940, typewritten
• 3 John Cage (288 17th Avenue, San Francisco) to Peter Yates, January 13, 1941 typewritten
• 4 John Cage (288 17th Avenue, San Francisco) to Peter Yates, January 18, 1941, handwritten
• 5 John Cage (126A Filbert [San Francisco]) to Peter Yates, undated [before May 14, 1941], handwritten
• 6 John Cage to Peter Yates, undated, typewritten [ca. October/November 1947]
• 7 John Cage to Peter Yates, undated [ca. December 1947], typewritten
• 8 John Cage to Peter Yates, undated [ca. September 1948], handwritten
• 9 John Cage to Peter Yates, undated [ca. October/November 1948], typewritten
• 10 John Cage to Peter Yates, undated [ca. November/December 1948], typewritten
• 11 John Cage to Peter Yates, undated [ca. December 1948], handwritten
• 12 John Cage to Peter Yates, undated [early 1949?], handwritten
• 13 Peter Yates (1735 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles) to John Cage, March 14, 1953, typewritten
• 14 John Cage (326 Monroe St, NYC) to Peter Yates, August 4, 1953, typewritten
• 15 Peter Yates (1735 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles) to John Cage, August 8, 1953, typewritten
• 16 Peter Yates (1735 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles) to John Cage, May 5, 1959, typewritten
• 17 John Cage (Stony Point) to Peter Yates, May 19, 1959, typewritten
• 18 Peter Yates (1735 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles) to John Cage, May 22, 1959, typewritten
• 19 Peter Yates (1735 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles) to John Cage, June 4, 1959, typewritten
• 20 Peter Yates (1735 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles) to John Cage, December 8, 1959, typewritten
• 21 Peter Yates (1735 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles) to John Cage, December 17, 1959, typewritten
• 22 John Cage (Stony Point) to Peter Yates, December 28, 1959, typewritten
• 23 Peter Yates (1735 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles) to John Cage, January 2, 1960, typewritten
• 24 Peter Yates to John Cage, January 28, 1960 (if that is rite [sic]), typewritten
• 25 John Cage to Peter Yates, undated [ca, February 1960], handwritten
• 26 Peter Yates (1735 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles) to John Cage, March 20, 1960, typewritten
• 27 John Cage (Stony Point) to Peter Yates, March 21, 1960, typewritten
• 28 Peter Yates (1735 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles) to John Cage, March 23, 1960, typewritten
• 29 John Cage (Stony Point) to Peter Yates, April 12, 1960, typewritten
• 30 Peter Yates (1735 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles) to John Cage, April 20, 1960, typewritten
• 31 John Cage (Stony Point) to Peter Yates, April 30, 1960, typewritten
• 32 Peter Yates to John Cage, May 8, 1960, typewritten
• 33 Peter Yates (1735 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles) to John Cage, May 12, 1960, typewritten
• 34 John Cage (Stony Point) to Peter Yates, May 27, 1960, typewritten
• 35 Peter Yates (1735 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles) to John Cage, May 31, 1960, typewritten
• 36 John Cage (Stony Point) to Peter Yates, June 6, 1960, typewritten
• 37 John Cage (Stony Point) to Peter Yates, June 6, 1960, typewritten
• 38 Peter Yates (1735 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles) to John Cage, June 9, 1960, typewritten
• 39 John Cage (Stony Point) to Peter Yates, June 23, 1960, typewritten
• 40 John Cage to Peter Yates, August 17, 1961, handwritten
• 41 Peter Yates (1735 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles), to John Cage, August 21, 1961, typewritten
• 42 John Cage (Stony Point) to Peter Yates, September 8, 1961, typewritten
• 43 John Cage (Stony Point) to Peter Yates, September 11, 1961, typewritten
• 44 John Cage to Peter Yates, undated [mid-September 1961], typewritten
• 45 John Cage (Stony Point) to Peter Yates, September 22, 1961, typewritten
• 46 John Cage (Stony Point) to Peter Yates, September 29, 1961, typewritten
• 47 Peter Yates to John Cage, October 2, 1961, typewritten
• 48 John Cage (Stony Point) to Peter Yates, October 2, 1961, typewritten
• 49 Peter Yates to John Cage, October 9, 1961, handwritten
• 50 John Cage (Stony Point) to Peter Yates, October 13, 1961, typewritten
• 51 Peter Yates to John Cage, October 18, 1961, typewritten
• 52 Peter Yates (1735 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles) to John Cage, November 12, 1961, typewritten
• 53 John Cage (Stony Point) to Peter Yates, November 20, 1961, typewritten
• 54 John Cage (Stony Point) to Peter Yates, November 27, 1961, typewritten
• 55 John Cage (Stony Point) to Peter Yates, January 17, 1962, typewritten
• 56 John Cage (c/o Miss Virginia Liese, 444 Franklin, Denver, CO) to Peter Yates (1735 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles), postmarked February 1, 1962, typewritten
• 57 John Cage (Stony Point) to Frances and Peter Yates, May 14, 1962, typewritten
• 58 Peter Yates (1735 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles) to John Cage, July 19, 1962, typewritten
• 59 John Cage (Stony Point) to Peter Yates, July 30, 1962, typewritten
• 60 John Cage (Stony Point) to Peter Yates, September 20, 1962, typewritten
• 61 John Cage (Akasaka) to Peter Yates (1735 Micheltorena St, Los Angeles), November 10, 1962, handwritten
• 62 John Cage (Stony Point) to Peter Yates, January 16, 1963, typewritten
• 63 John Cage to Peter Yates, undated [ca. September–October 1963], handwritten
• 64 John Cage (Stony Point) to Peter Yates, August 6, 1965, typewritten
• 65 Peter Yates (1735 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles) to John Cage, August 9, 1965, typewritten
• 66 John Cage (School of Art, University of Saskatchewan, Okema Beach, P.O.) to Peter Yates, undated [between August 15 and 28, 1965], handwritten
• 67 Peter Yates (Los Angeles) to John Cage, September 9, 1965, typewritten
• 68 John Cage (Stony Point) to Peter Yates, September 19, 1965, typewritten
• 69 John Cage (Stony Point) to Peter Yates, September 24, 1965, typewritten
• 70 Peter Yates (1735 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles) to John Cage, September 29, 1965, typewritten
• 71 Peter Yates (1735 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles) to John Cage, October 3, 1965, typewritten
• 72 John Cage (Stony Point) to Peter Yates, October 6, 1965, typewritten
• 73 John Cage (Stony Point) to Peter Yates, October 7, 1965, typewritten
• 74 Peter Yates (postmarked Los Angeles) to John Cage, October 8, 1965, typewritten
• 75 John Cage (Stony Point) to Peter Yates, October 11, 1965, typewritten
• 76 Peter Yates (1735 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles) to John Cage, October 13, 1965, typewritten
• 77 Peter Yates to John Cage, November 15, 1965, typewritten
• 78 John Cage (Stony Point) to Peter Yates (1735 Micheltorena St, Los Angeles), postmarked December 3, 1965, typewritten
• 79 Peter Yates (1735 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles) to John Cage, December 4, 1965, typewritten
• 80 John Cage (Stony Point) to Peter Yates, December 7, 1965, typewritten
• 81 Peter Yates (1735 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles) to John Cage, December 9, 1965, typewritten
• 82 John Cage (Stony Point) to Peter Yates, January 1, 1966, typewritten
• 83 Peter Yates to John Cage, January 5, 1966, typewritten
• 84 Peter Yates (1735 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles) to John Cage, January 9, 1966, typewritten
• 86 Peter Yates to John Cage, undated [January 1966], handwritten
• 87 Peter Yates (1735 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles) to John Cage, January 16, 1966, typewritten
• 88 John Cage (Stony Point) to Peter Yates, January 21, 1966, typewritten
• 89 John Cage (Stony Point) to Peter Yates, March 7, 1966, typewritten
• 90 Peter Yates (1735 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles) to John Cage, May 2, 1966, typewritten
• 91 John Cage (Stony Point) to Peter Yates, May 8, 1966, handwritten
• 92 Peter Yates (1735 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles) to John Cage, May 11, 1966, typewritten
• 93 John Cage (Stony Point) to Peter Yates, May 23, 1966, typewritten
• 94 Peter Yates to John Cage, May 24, 1966, typewritten
• 95 Peter Yates (1735 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles) to John Cage, June 3, 1966
• 96 Frances and Peter Yates to John Cage, ca. December 6, 1966, handwritten
• 97 John Cage (Stony Point) to Peter and Frances Yates, December 21, 1966, typewritten
• 98 Peter Yates (1735 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles) to John Cage, December 27, 1966, typewritten
• 99 John Cage (380 Oregon Ave. (Apt. 300), Cincinnati, OH) to Peter Yates, January 18, 1967, typewritten
• 100 Peter Yates (1735 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles) to John Cage, January 19, 1967, typewritten
• 101 John Cage (380 Oregon Avenue, Cincinatti) to Peter Yates (1735 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles), March 10, 1967, typewritten
• 102 Peter Yates (1735 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles) to John Cage, March 11, 1967, typewritten
• 103 Peter Yates (1735 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles) to John Cage, September 24, 1967, typewritten
• 104 John Cage (401 Edgebrook Dr., Apt 303, Champaign, IL) to Peter Yates (1735 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles), October 15, 1967, handwritten
• 105 Peter Yates (1735 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles) to John Cage, October 19, 1967, typewritten
• 106 Peter Yates (State University College at Buffalo) to John Cage, November 23, 1968, typewritten
• 107 John Cage (University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign) to Peter Yates (State University College at Buffalo), December 6, 1968, typewritten
• 108 Peter Yates (State University College at Buffalo) to John Cage, December 10, 1968, typewritten
• 109 John Cage (607½ West University, Champaign, IL) to Peter Yates (State University College at Buffalo), January 25, 1969, typewritten
• 110 John Cage (607½ West University, Champaign, IL) to Peter Yates, March 4, 1969, typewritten
• 111 Telegram from John Cage (Champaign) to Peter Yates (Buffalo), March 4, 1969
• 112 Peter Yates (State University College at Buffalo) to John Cage, March 8, 1969, typewritten
• 113 Peter Yates (State University College at Buffalo) to John Cage,April 25, 1969, typewritten
• 114 John Cage (107 Bank St, NYC) to Peter and Frances Yates (68 Dorchester Rd, Buffalo, NY), January 9, 1971, handwritten
• 115 John Cage (107 Bank Street, New York) to Peter Yates (68 Dorchester Road, Buffalo), December 29, 1971, handwritten
• Bibliography
• Index