Some songs have meaningful texts by Thoreau; others are in the spirit of the composer's 1951 pronouncement, "I have nothing to say and I am saying it." Vocal melodies are occasional. Directives that sound like Zen-like koans often inspire singers and instrumentalists to do what they will. No two performances of Song Books should sound much alike.
A new recording by a British trio headed by Lore Lixenberg favors finely shaded electronic realizations, as opposed to the explosive contrasts of La Barbara's group. Don't ask which is better; both were seriously thoughtful.
In Friday's 90-minute continuous flow of songs (which weren't listed in the program), the density of the sounds repeatedly reached critical mass suggesting a symphonic climax - with all the visceral excitement that implies. Much of the rest felt random, but with poetic ambiguity. What sounded like a metal percussion instrument was a heavily amplified manual typewriter. Odd trombone sounds were achieved by using a compact disc as a mute.
Venerable Christ Church is perhaps the ideal Cage venue, its 18th-century architecture a surreal frame for Cage's constantly-at-the-edge music. Also, the unstained glass windows admit to the performances whatever is happening outside, such as lights from any given police action on lively Fridays in Old City.
More effort should have gone into making the audience a part of the process. With Cage's scores projected on a screen, we'd at least be anchored in the starting point. Better to appreciate the performance imagination at hand.
Contact music critic David Patrick Stearns at dstearns@phillynews.com. Information on future concerts: www.cagebeyondsilence.com.
