The classical sound of silence

Quartet 'plays' famous piece as it educates audiences and broadens the appeal of the musical genre, Chen Nan reports.

The sound of silence to make a loud statement. For a brief period of time, 4 minutes 33 seconds to be precise, on Aug 29, 1952, pianist David Tudor from the United States walked onto the stage in Woodstock, New York, and sat down at the piano, for the world premiere of American avant-garde composer John Cage's work. Its name? You guessed it. 4'33". The piece, if that is the right description, is actually a silent span of 273 seconds. It was to become the most famous and infamous work by Cage.

Fast forward to this month in Beijing. Cellist Yang Yichen and his colleagues that make up the Amber Quartet "played" 4'33" at the National Library Arts Center on July 13.