[Smt-talk] "The Cage" (Ives)

[David Feurzeig]

David Bishop wrote:
> did you verify her discovery?

Naturally! The "A" occurs twice in a row, and there is then an additional long A after that, so it spells "C-A-A-G-E-A" to be precise. And while the F# on "meat" is not a long note, it is followed by a rest, giving it a loosely similar durational emphasis.

But this still comes closer to a linear spelling of the word than any of the instances Lambert points to.

David

>> Dear list:
>> 
>> Elizabeth Bemak, a student in my 20th-C theory class, observed that in Ives' song "The Cage", all the notes in the vocal line longer than an eighth spell "C-A-G-E" (in order). 
>> 
>> That was news to me! Am I just late to the party? I haven't seen this pointed out in any published analysis or discussion. 

David Feurzeig
Associate Professor, Composition and Theory
University of Vermont
384 S. Prospect St.
Burlington, VT 05405
802-656-1498
dfeurzei at uvm.edu