Pure Pitch & Jagged Sound

Pure pitch and jagged sound in John Cage's Imaginary Landscapes No. 5 give form to an expanding and contracting space. These two distinct sounds are set in opposition and mingle together throughout the composition. To create a pure pitch he uses electronic production of a tone to reduce any fluctuations from overtones. The jagged sound, which has a jagged wave form, is produced by vibrating piano stings.



This simple dialectic of smooth and rough a strategy to give form to a music center in Brooklyn Heights

context

Smooth Violence. John Cage's imaginary landscapes has two distinct qualities of sound that explore pure pitch, the erasure of overtone through electronic production and jagged vibration through analog manipulation of piano wires. These two qualities mingle throughout the piece.

Smooth light filters through a rough composition of concrete masses stacked horizontally. In contrast sheets of glass cut through the building disrupting the rhythm of the space and open up shafts for vertical circulation. On the ground floor a diagonal cut breaks the rhythm and links the circulation of the community to the larger public which enter as they approach from Atlantic Ave. The overall composition gives a monolithic presence and is broken down into individual pieces that relate to the scale and texture of the community.