John Cage’s 639-year-long organ piece hits 17th chord change in Germany

More than 150 people crowded into a medieval church in eastern Germany on Wednesday to witness a fleeting moment in one of the world's longest musical performances: the 17th chord change in John Cage's composition "ORGAN²/ASLSP (As Slow as Possible)," a piece scheduled to play for 639 years.

A New Note Joins the Chord

The event took place at the Burchardi Church in Halberstadt, Germany, where the John Cage Organ Project has been sounding continuously since September 5, 2001 — what would have been Cage's 89th birthday. The chord change moved the piece from seven notes to eight, with an additional pipe manually slotted into the small organ, sending a new sound reverberating through the church.whyevolutionistrue+1

For three minutes, the audience listened to the previous chord before the new pipe was added. After another three minutes of the new sound, spectators broke into applause and cries of "bravo," according to the Associated Press. Dozens more watched via livestream outside the church. The change marked approximately 4 percent completion of the entire work.news.artnet+1

From Concept to Centuries-Long Performance

Cage composed the original piece in 1985, and it has been interpreted at vastly different tempos over the years — most performances last only hours. The Halberstadt interpretation stretches the instruction "As Slow as Possible" to its logical extreme. The performance began with a silent pause that lasted from September 2001 until February 5, 2003, when the first audible chords were finally heard.whyevolutionistrue

An electric-powered blower system sends wind continuously into the organ to sustain sound between chord changes. The composition is scheduled to conclude on September 4, 2640.whyevolutionistrue

The Next Change

The next chord change is slated for October 5, 2027, giving those who missed Wednesday's event more than a year to plan their pilgrimage. John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats, who visited in 2013, wrote in Harper's that it was "honestly one of the sweetest, most unusual musical experiences I've ever had."news.artnet