Some composers have discussed the significance of silence or a silent composition without ever composing such a work. In his 1907 manifesto, Sketch of a New Esthetic of Music, Ferruccio Busoni described its significance:[1]
That which, within our present-day music, most nearly approaches the essential of the art, is the Rest and the Hold (Pause). Consummate players, improvisers, know how to employ these instruments of expression in loftier and ampler measure. The tense silence between two movements—in itself music, in this environment—leaves wider scope for divination than the more determinate, but therefore less elastic, sound.
After Paul Hindemith read this, he suggested a work consisting of nothing but pauses and fermatas in 1916.[2]
Classical compositions
A number of classical compositions consisting primarily of silence have been composed since 1896:
Il Silenzio: pezzo caratteristico e descrittivo (stile moderno) (1896) by "Samuel", a pseudonym, probably Edgardo Del Valle de Paz [it]; published in the Year 1. Vol. 1. Nº11. Supplement of the journal La Nuova Musica.
"Samuel was attempting a different means of writing one of his humorous critiques on musical society, mainly in Florence. All the techniques used are well developed and extremely diversified for a piece having no pitch and with a skill that only Erik Satie could match at that time. He highlights and questions every compositional cliché that was in vogue during the period among traditional Italian composers and the growth of modernist avant-garde arts, using humor as a mechanism of critique".[3]
Funeral March for the Obsequies of a Deaf Man (1897) by Alphonse Allais, a French writer and humorist (1854–1905); published in his Album primo-avrilesque
Twenty-four blank measures. Earlier title: "Great sorrows are mute: incoherent funeral march". The composer instructed: "Great sorrows being mute, the performers should occupy themselves with the sole task of counting the bars, instead of indulging in the kind of indecent row that destroys the august character of the best obsequies."[4]
The band was going through all the motions: the swart, longish-haired leader led away; the brasses, the saxophones, the clarinets made a great show of fingering and blowing, but the only sound from the stage was a rhythmic swish-swish from the trap-drummer, a froggy slap-slap from the bull-fiddler, a soft plunk-plunk from the pianist.[6]
Also known as 0'00"; the performer determines the extent to which the piece is silent, mostly silent, noisy, or raucous. The composer instructed: "In a situation provided with maximum amplification, perform a disciplined action. The performer should allow any interruptions of the action, the action should fulfill an obligation to others, the same action should not be used in more than one performance, and should not be the performance of a musical composition."[8]
Fur Music (1971), by Nelson Howe
Found on pages 295-297 of Source: Music of the Avant Garde magazine, Issue No. 9. Performers/listeners are to rub their fingers against pieces of fur interpreting the texture of the fur as they may within their heads. This may often result in silence.
Songs
This is a dynamic list of songs and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.
"Le chant des carpes" by Ludwig von 88 on Houlala II "la mission" (1987)
"Gestenstücke" by Juan María Solare, a collection of five pieces for 4 performers in which a musical structure is used to put order in non-sounding elements, concretely gestures. For instance, the first piece of the cycle is a canon of gestures. (2008)
"Track 3," accidentally released as a promotional single on Taylor Swift's album 1989. It consisted of eight seconds of white noise and topped the iTunes chart in Canada.
"Dramatic Pause Of Silence To Signify The End Of The Album And Beginning Of Additional Songs Included On The CD To Make People Feel Better About Buying The CD Instead Of The Vinyl Version" by Kid606 on Who Still Kill Sound?
Albums
This is an incomplete list of albums, which can or may never satisfy any subjective standard for completeness. Revisions and additions are welcome.
Silent Tracks of Various Useful Lengths, a 2010 album by Brett Black consisting of 8 tracks of silence, was the first completely silent album to be commercially available through the iTunes Store.[10]
The Wit and Wisdom of Ronald Reagan, satirical LP issued by Stiff Records in 1980. (Side one is "The Wit" and side two "The Wisdom", both are divided into multiple tracks but are silent.)
Rosemary Brown Psyches Again!, a 1982 Enharmonic Records LP by David DeBoor Canfield. (Side one contains parodies of works supposedly taken down by British psychic Rosemary Brown from deceased composers. Side two is silent and contains an Introduction by Marcel Marceau and a "discussion" by Johann Sebastian Bach and Johannes Brahms on the musical merits of Rosemary's Brown's efforts.)
Sleepify, a 2014 album by Vulfpeck consisting of 10 tracks of silence. The album was released on the music streaming service Spotify and generated $20,000 in royalty over a two-month period. It exposed a loophole in the streaming service's royalty calculation model.[11]
Epater Les Bourgeois and Simphonie In O Minor by The New Blockaders in 1985 / 1991.
^Busoni, Ferruccio (1911). Sketch of a New Esthetic of Music. New York: G. Schirmer. p. 23.
^da Fonseca-Wollheim, Corinna (21 April 2013). "Slyly Pricking the Wagnerian Balloon". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
^Pena, Eder (2020). "Unsilencing the Silence: Unacknowledged Silent Pieces". Opus. 26 (3): 1–26. doi:10.20504/opus2020c2617.
^Whiting, Steven Moore (1999). Satie the Bohemian: From Cabaret to Concert Hall. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 81n. ISBN9780191584527.
^Betz, Marianne (1999). "In futurum – von Schulhoff zu Cage". Archiv für Musikwissenschaft. 56 (4): 331–346. doi:10.2307/931056. JSTOR 931056. includes one facsimile, p. 335
^Asbell, Bernard (April 1958). "The Little World of Orville K. Snav". Playboy.
^"The First Album Of Silent Music Available For Digital Download Is Now Making Some Noise". PRWeb. Retrieved 2017-03-28.
^"How Vulfpeck Album Sleepify Used Spotify Loophole to Earn $20,000". classicalite.com. October 1, 2015. from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
January 13, 2023
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This is a list of musical works which consist mostly or entirely of silence Contents 1 Theory 2 Classical compositions 3 Songs 4 Albums 5 See also 6 ReferencesTheory EditSome composers have discussed the significance of silence or a silent composition without ever composing such a work In his 1907 manifesto Sketch of a New Esthetic of Music Ferruccio Busoni described its significance 1 That which within our present day music most nearly approaches the essential of the art is the Rest and the Hold Pause Consummate players improvisers know how to employ these instruments of expression in loftier and ampler measure The tense silence between two movements in itself music in this environment leaves wider scope for divination than the more determinate but therefore less elastic sound After Paul Hindemith read this he suggested a work consisting of nothing but pauses and fermatas in 1916 2 Classical compositions EditA number of classical compositions consisting primarily of silence have been composed since 1896 Il Silenzio pezzo caratteristico e descrittivo stile moderno 1896 by Samuel a pseudonym probably Edgardo Del Valle de Paz it published in the Year 1 Vol 1 Nº11 Supplement of the journal La Nuova Musica Samuel was attempting a different means of writing one of his humorous critiques on musical society mainly in Florence All the techniques used are well developed and extremely diversified for a piece having no pitch and with a skill that only Erik Satie could match at that time He highlights and questions every compositional cliche that was in vogue during the period among traditional Italian composers and the growth of modernist avant garde arts using humor as a mechanism of critique 3 Funeral March for the Obsequies of a Deaf Man 1897 by Alphonse Allais a French writer and humorist 1854 1905 published in his Album primo avrilesqueTwenty four blank measures Earlier title Great sorrows are mute incoherent funeral march The composer instructed Great sorrows being mute the performers should occupy themselves with the sole task of counting the bars instead of indulging in the kind of indecent row that destroys the august character of the best obsequies 4 In futurum 1919 by Erwin Schulhoff 1894 1942 silent notated in great rhythmic detail employing bizarre time signatures and intricate rhythmic patterns 5 Silent music 1941 by Raymond Scott 1909 1994 The band was going through all the motions the swart longish haired leader led away the brasses the saxophones the clarinets made a great show of fingering and blowing but the only sound from the stage was a rhythmic swish swish from the trap drummer a froggy slap slap from the bull fiddler a soft plunk plunk from the pianist 6 Monotone Silence Symphony 1949 by Yves Kleinin two movements a single 20 minute sustained chord followed by a 20 minute silence 7 4 33 1952 by John Cage 1912 1992 silent in three movements lasting a total of four minutes and 33 seconds for any instrument or combination of instruments 4 33 No 2 1962 by John CageAlso known as 0 00 the performer determines the extent to which the piece is silent mostly silent noisy or raucous The composer instructed In a situation provided with maximum amplification perform a disciplined action The performer should allow any interruptions of the action the action should fulfill an obligation to others the same action should not be used in more than one performance and should not be the performance of a musical composition 8 Fur Music 1971 by Nelson HoweFound on pages 295 297 of Source Music of the Avant Garde magazine Issue No 9 Performers listeners are to rub their fingers against pieces of fur interpreting the texture of the fur as they may within their heads This may often result in silence Songs Edit This is a dynamic list of songs and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries Mute By Maison Margiela by Tommy Cash 2021 12 97 24 99 by Mudvayne 2002 15 Minutes by Telepopmusik 2005 18 sekundur fyrir solaruppras 18 seconds before sunrise by Sigur Ros 1997 23 Seconds of Silence by Wilco 1999 42 Minutes of Silence by Milosh on Quiet Time with Milosh 2002 9 11 01 by Soulfly 2002 A big thank you to and Turn by C418 on Bushes and Marshmallows 2009 Absolute Elsewhere by Coil Ad Interim by E S T on Leucocyte 2008 A Moment of Silence by The Neighbourhood 2015 Anniversary Of World War III by The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band on Volume 3 A Child s Guide to Good and Evil 1968 Are We Here Criminal Justice Bill Mix by Orbital The Ballad of Richard Nixon by John Denver 1969 The Best of Marcel Marceau by Michael Viner Beware The Funk is Everywhere by Afrika Bambaataa 1986 Birthdeath Experience by Whitehouse 1980 Seinsart by The New Blockaders 1985 Null Bei Ohr by The New Blockaders 2003 Blank by The All American Rejects blank track by The Jesus Lizard on deluxe remastered reissues of Liar 1992 and Down 1994 and silence on Goat 1991 Brawthers by Brawthers 2019 Just the guitar is silent BunaB 5 by Al Crowder 9 Extract From The Compassion amp Humanity Of Margaret Thatcher on the Cherry Red Records compilation Pillows and Prayers 2 1984 Le chant des carpes by Ludwig von 88 on Houlala II la mission 1987 Gestenstucke by Juan Maria Solare a collection of five pieces for 4 performers in which a musical structure is used to put order in non sounding elements concretely gestures For instance the first piece of the cycle is a canon of gestures 2008 I Predict Some Quiet by the Kaiser Chiefs 2005 In Remembrance by Pan Thy Monium on Khaooohs and Kon Fus Ion 1996 intermission by Titus Andronicus band on The Most Lamentable Tragedy 2015 Intentionally Left Blank by James Holden in The Idiots Are Winning 2006 A Lot of Nothing by Coheed and Cambria Split into 11 sections ranging from 5 15 seconds in length Magic Window by Boards of Canada The Misinterpretation of Silence and its Disastrous Consequences by Type O Negative on Slow Deep and Hard 1991 The Most Important Track On the Album by Astronautalis 2008 nothing by The Microphones Tense Atmosphere a graphic score by Juan Maria Solare which consists of a silence with a sforzato sign 2013 The Nutopian International Anthem by John Lennon 1973 Two Minutes Silence by John Lennon and Yoko Ono Omitted for Clarity by Karnivool on Themata 2005 One Minute of Silence by Soundgarden A One Minute Silence by Mike Batt Page 13 by Fantomas Path XII Inlustra Nigror by Vesania Pause by Rob Dougan Piste Silencieuse by Wax Tailor Pregnant Pause Intermission by Leila Bela Pure Digital Silence by the Melvins Room 0 Solo for Conductor by Nits Rwanda by Radio Boy 2001 Schweigeminute by VNV Nation on Praise the Fallen 1999 Silence by Karl Bartos 2013 Silence by Ciccone Youth Silence by Korn Silence A suitable place for those with tired ears to pause and resume listening later by Robert Wyatt Silence by Brian Eno on Drums Between the Bells 2011 Silence by Knife Party Silencio sepulcral Sepulchral Silence by Soziedad Alkoholika Song of the Deaf Girl by Cloud Cult on The Meaning of 8 2007 Strajk by Hladno pivo on Samar 2003 The Sound of Free speech by Crass Tathagatagarbha by Clarence Clarity on No Now 2015 There s a Riot Goin On by Sly Stone Thirty second Silence by Guster Three Bagatelles for David Tudor by Gyorgy Ligeti The Ten Coolest Things About New Jersey by The Bloodhound Gang Track 3 accidentally released as a promotional single on Taylor Swift s album 1989 It consisted of eight seconds of white noise and topped the iTunes chart in Canada Tunnel of Goats XVII by Coil You Can Make Your Own Music by Covenant a 4 minute and 33 second silent track in reference to John Cage s composition 4 33 Leave On by Blackmail Minut cutanja Moment of silence by Marcelo Non Musical Silence by The All American Rejects Silence by Alva Noto on Unitxt Weg by Die Fantastischen Vier on Die 4 Dimension MICROPHONE MAN by Kinzsters172 Untitled by Brainbombs on Brainbombs Dramatic Pause Of Silence To Signify The End Of The Album And Beginning Of Additional Songs Included On The CD To Make People Feel Better About Buying The CD Instead Of The Vinyl Version by Kid606 on Who Still Kill Sound Albums EditThis is an incomplete list of albums which can or may never satisfy any subjective standard for completeness Revisions and additions are welcome Silent Tracks of Various Useful Lengths a 2010 album by Brett Black consisting of 8 tracks of silence was the first completely silent album to be commercially available through the iTunes Store 10 The Wit and Wisdom of Ronald Reagan satirical LP issued by Stiff Records in 1980 Side one is The Wit and side two The Wisdom both are divided into multiple tracks but are silent Rosemary Brown Psyches Again a 1982 Enharmonic Records LP by David DeBoor Canfield Side one contains parodies of works supposedly taken down by British psychic Rosemary Brown from deceased composers Side two is silent and contains an Introduction by Marcel Marceau and a discussion by Johann Sebastian Bach and Johannes Brahms on the musical merits of Rosemary s Brown s efforts Sleepify a 2014 album by Vulfpeck consisting of 10 tracks of silence The album was released on the music streaming service Spotify and generated 20 000 in royalty over a two month period It exposed a loophole in the streaming service s royalty calculation model 11 Epater Les Bourgeois and Simphonie In O Minor by The New Blockaders in 1985 1991 tranquility by LOIKE in 2021 See also EditAnti artReferences Edit Busoni Ferruccio 1911 Sketch of a New Esthetic of Music New York G Schirmer p 23 da Fonseca Wollheim Corinna 21 April 2013 Slyly Pricking the Wagnerian Balloon The New York Times Retrieved 21 April 2013 Pena Eder 2020 Unsilencing the Silence Unacknowledged Silent Pieces Opus 26 3 1 26 doi 10 20504 opus2020c2617 Whiting Steven Moore 1999 Satie the Bohemian From Cabaret to Concert Hall New York Oxford University Press p 81n ISBN 9780191584527 Betz Marianne 1999 In futurum von Schulhoff zu Cage Archiv fur Musikwissenschaft 56 4 331 346 doi 10 2307 931056 JSTOR 931056 includes one facsimile p 335 Music Silent Music Time 1941 Yves Klein Overcoming the Problematics of Art The Writings of Yves Klein Spring Publications 2007 Silverman Kenneth 2010 Begin Again A Biography of John Cage New York Alfred A Knopf p 184 ISBN 9780307594570 Asbell Bernard April 1958 The Little World of Orville K Snav Playboy The First Album Of Silent Music Available For Digital Download Is Now Making Some Noise PRWeb Retrieved 2017 03 28 How Vulfpeck Album Sleepify Used Spotify Loophole to Earn 20 000 classicalite com October 1 2015 Archived from the original on October 5 2015 Retrieved January 6 2016 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title List of silent musical compositions amp oldid 1132666241, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
