Surely this is the zenith of the history of the footnote. 

1. The truth about John Cage (1912-1992) is even more telling than Borstlap’s claim that he “never intended to be a serious musician.” As Torres and I have noted, Cage did aspire to a musical career, but he was hampered by lack of talent and devastated by poor reviews. His failure as a composer is what led him to abandon music entirely to engage in his anti-art shenanigans. (See What Art Is: The Esthetic Theory of Ayn Rand [search for “aimed to compose pieces”], pp. 221-22.)

And here’s what is likely to a lot of you a familiar clip illustrating some “anti-art shenanigans.”

La Cieca

James Jorden (who wrote under the names "La Cieca" and "Our Own JJ") was the founder and editor of parterre box. During his 20 year career as an opera critic he wrote for the New York Times, Opera, Gay City News, Opera Now, Musical America and the New York Post. He also raised his voice in punditry on National Public Radio. From time to time he directed opera, including three unsuccessful productions of Don Giovanni. He also contributed a regular column on opera for the New York Observer. James died in October 2023.

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