Saturday, October 4th, 2003

*21st CENTURY WORLD PREMIERE*

Dick Higgins

The Thousand Symphonies, 1968

Performed at Rutgers University on October 4, 2003

Conducted by Philip Corner

Organized by Artists Geoffrey Hendricks and Philip Corner

“So that’s what artist organized music can sound like…”

“I’ve never heard anything like this played here…”

In 1968, Dick Higgins showed the world the fastest and most violent way to write a thousand symphonies. Using a machine gun, one thousand pages of orchestral open score were violated with a symphony of bullets. Philip Corner was able to move beyond the two dimensional result in this highly nuanced world premiere. It is fitting that Rutgers University should allow artists to organize the long awaited event.
The energy of the artist organizing principle was released in a pure moment of communion. The Thousand Symphonies are symphonies of the artist organizing way. In this music one can experience the energy of revolutionary art practice. Stalin would have hated its meaning.
Wagner would have been jealous of its process. Wourinen would have denounced the composer. Bush would have sent the terror alerts to code red. Hollywood would have classified the event as an obscenity.
McCarthy would have blacklisted the entire audience. Senator Helmes would have put Rutgers University under a permanent embargo. The Guggenheim would have preferred a symphony by Armani. Deutsche Gramophone would have re-melted all of the work's warehoused recordings.
The surrealists would have commodified the piece under their trademark. The Police would have screamed bloody murder. Cage would have asked for at least a second chance. Bard College would have slept through it.


In 1968, Dick Higgins showed the world the fastest and most violent way to write a thousand symphonies. Using a machine gun, one thousand pages of orchestral open score were violated with a symphony of bullets. Philip Corner was able to move beyond the two dimensional result in this highly nuanced world premiere. It is fitting that Rutgers University should allow artists to organize the long awaited event. The energy of the artist organizing principle was released in a pure moment of communion. The Thousand Symphonies are symphonies of the artist organizing way. In this music one can experience the energy of revolutionary art practice.

  • Stalin would have hated its meaning
  • Wagner would have been jealous of its process
  • Wourinen would have denounced the composer
  • Bush would have sent the terror alerts to code red
  • Hollywood would have classified the event as an obscenity
  • McCarthy would have blacklisted the entire audience
  • Senator Helmes would have put Rutgers University under a permanent embargo
  • The Guggenheim would have preferred a symphony by Armani
  • Deutsche Gramophone would have re-melted all of the work’s warehoused recordings
  • The surrealists would have commodified the piece under their trademark
  • The Police would have screamed bloody murder
  • Cage would have asked for at least a second chance
  • Bard College would have slept through it

@–’–,— @–’–,— @–’–,— @–’–,— @–’–,— @–’–,— @–’–,— @–’–,— @–’–,— @–’–,— @–’–,— @–’–,— @–’–,— @–’–,— @–’–,— @–’–,— @–’–,— @–’–,— @–’–,— @–’–,— @–’–,— @–’–,— @–’–,— @–’–,— These two dozen roses are reserved for The Thousand Symphonies, 1968 by Dick Higgins Great Performance

#permalink posted by Artist Organized Art: 10/04/03 01:51:00 PM

  





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