In order to better understand the following post, I highly suggest you watch this video in its entirety:
4’33” is a famous piece by John Cage which explores the music we never really pay attention to. It was a philosophical stand-point that brought the argument of “what is music?” to fruition.
The piece is comprised of three movements labeled “tacet” (do not play).
The video above shows a connecting point between the representation and reality. Hyperreality is when we become unable to tell the difference between an imitation of reality and reality itself.
One of the easiest examples to understand is video games. Video games have become so advanced graphically. In my personal experience, if I play a video game long enough, I begin to see the gameplay behind my eyelids. In that way, the game became my own reality.
In 4’33”, the piece is comprised of what seems like silence. However, the point the composer is trying to make is that we don’t notice the sounds/”ambient noise” that naturally occur around us. The reality of our everyday ambient noise becomes a work of art.
Performances of 4’33” force the audience to listen to the coughs, cell phone texts, birds, traffic, etc. we never notice and consider it “music.” Whether or not you go along with the idea is up to your interpretation.
The controversial piece has spurred many iterations, often in parody. Here are some of my favorites:
If you would like to learn more about John Cage’s philosophy behind 4’33”:
Classical Modern Music 