As Slow as Possible

Organ2/ASLSP (As Slow as Possible) is a musical piece by John Cage and the subject of one of the longest-lasting musical performances yet undertaken. Cage wrote it in 1987 for organ, as an adaptation of his 1985 composition ASLSP for piano. A performance of the piano version usually lasts 20 to 70 minutes.[1]

This article is about the music. For the GIF of a similar name, see AS Long As Possible (ASLAP).
Sankt-Burchardi-Church in Halberstadt, Germany.

Organ2/ASLSP has been playing in Halberstadt for

21 years, 8 months, 1 week and 4 days

An organ in St. Burchardi church in Halberstadt in 2001 began a performance that is due to end in 2640. The next note will be played on February 5, 2024.

History

The Friends of the Maryland Summer Institute for the Creative and Performing Arts commissioned the piece for contemporary requirement of a piano competition. Cage used an open format to ensure no two performances would be the same, and give judges a break from the consistency of most compositions. The score is eight pages.

Performances

Diane Luchese played Organ2/ASLSP from 8:45 am to 11:41 pm on February 5, 2009, at Towson University. This 14-hour-56-minute performance was the longest recorded individual performance until 2022.[2] YouTube and Twitch channel 'AllRequest/ AllRequest_Live' performed an adapted version of ASLSP to a live audience for 24 hours, from 12:00am on February 4, 2022 to 12:00am on February 5, 2022.[3] Stephen Whittington performed an 8-hour version of ASLSP on the Elder Hall organ for John Cage Day in 2012 at the University of Adelaide.[4][5][6][7] Organists Patrick Wedd, Adrian Foster, and Alex Ross gave a 12-hour team performance at Christ Church Cathedral, Montreal, in 2015. Daniel Cooper gave a 12-hour performance in Knox Church to mark the Southern Hemisphere's winter solstice in 2019.[8] Christopher Anderson gave a 16-hour performance, currently the second slowest performance and longest complete performance on record, on March 8, 2022 at Perkins Chapel on the campus of Southern Methodist University.

Halberstadt performance
The bellows used for the Halberstadt performance.
The organ used for the Halberstadt performance.

Background

Musicians and philosophers discussed Cage's instruction to play "as slow as possible" at a conference in 1997, because a properly maintained pipe organ could sound indefinitely. The John Cage Organ Foundation Halberstadt decided to play the piece for 639 years, to mark the time between the first documented permanent organ installation in Halberstadt Cathedral, in 1361, and the proposed start date of 2000.[9] The Foundation sells plaques commemorating the years through 2640 to fund the performance.[10][11]

The instrument

An organ was built specifically for the performance.[12] It is in the church's right transept, with the bellows in the left transept.

Acrylic glass encases it to reduce the volume.[13]

Performance

The Halberstadt performance started on September 5, 2001, with a rest lasting until February 5, 2003, when the first chord played.[14][15] Sandbags depress the organ's pedals to maintain the notes.[1] Two more organ pipes were added alongside the four already installed and the tone became more complex at 15:33 local time. The bellows provide a constant supply of air to keep the pipes playing.[16] On July 5, 2012 two more organ pipes were taken out, and two were in the organ. The note changed on September 5, 2020.[17] The performance is scheduled to end on September 5, 2640.

John Cage Organ2/ASLSP (639 years, part 1)[18]
ImpulseActionNotesDateChord
length
1BeginnoneSeptember 5, 2001
2SoundG♯4, B4, G♯5February 5, 2003518 d
3SoundE3, E4July 5, 2004516 d
4ReleaseG♯4, B4July 5, 2005365 d
5SoundA4, C5, F♯5January 5, 2006184 d
6ReleaseE3, E4May 5, 2006120 d
7SoundC4, A♭4July 5, 2008792 d
8ReleaseC4November 5, 2008123 d
9SoundD4, E5February 5, 200992 d
10ReleaseE5July 5, 2010515 d
11ReleaseD4, G♯5February 5, 2011215 d
12SoundC4 (16′), D♭4 (16′)August 5, 2011181 d
ReleaseA♭4
13ReleaseA4, C5, F♯5July 5, 2012335 d
14SoundD♯4, A♯4, E5October 5, 2013457 d
15SoundG♯3, E4September 5, 20202,527 d
16ReleaseG♯3February 5, 2022518 d
17SoundD4February 5, 2024730 d
18SoundA4August 5, 2026912 d
19ReleaseE4October 5, 2027426 d
20SoundG3April 5, 2028183 d
21ReleaseD4August 5, 2028122 d
22ReleaseA4March 5, 2030577 d
23ReleaseD♯4, E5September 5, 2030184 d
24ReleaseG3May 5, 2033973 d
25SoundB3December 5, 2033214 d
26SoundF3, D4August 5, 2034243 d
27ReleaseF3, D4September 5, 203431 d
28ReleaseB3October 5, 203430 d
29SoundD♭5June 5, 2035243 d
30SoundA2 (16′)September 5, 2037823 d
ReleaseD♭5
31SoundA♭4, A♭5March 5, 2038181 d
32ReleaseA♭5July 5, 2038122 d
33ReleaseA♭4May 5, 2039304 d
ImpulseActionNotesDateChord
length
34SoundD4, A♭4December 5, 2039214 d
35ReleaseD4, A♭4April 5, 2040122 d
36SoundD♭3, B♭3January 5, 2041275 d
37ReleaseD♭3, B♭3March 5, 2042424 d
38ReleaseA2 (16′)November 5, 2043610 d
39SoundA3, D4July 5, 2044243 d
40SoundE4March 5, 2045243 d
ReleaseA♯4
41SoundB4, C5, A♯5March 5, 2046365 d
42ReleaseC4 (16′), B4, C5, A♯5October 5, 2047579 d
43SoundC3 (16′)February 5, 2049489 d
44SoundD♯4, A4April 5, 2050424 d
45ReleaseA3, D4, E4February 5, 2051306 d
46ReleaseD♯4, A4November 5, 2051273 d
47SoundE♭3, B3May 5, 2053547 d
48ReleaseC3 (16′)November 5, 2054549 d
49ReleaseE♭3, B3July 5, 2056608 d
50SoundB♭4August 5, 2057396 d
51SoundA2 (16′)May 5, 2058273 d
52ReleaseA2 (16′)November 5, 2059549 d
53SoundG♭4, C5, D♭5April 5, 2060152 d
54ReleaseG♭4, C5, D♭5June 5, 206061 d
55SoundE4November 5, 2060153 d
ReleaseB♭4
56SoundB4, C5, E♭5, C6February 5, 206192 d
57ReleaseC5, E♭5, C6April 5, 206159 d
58SoundD4September 5, 2061153 d
ReleaseE4
59SoundA♯3, D♯4, F♯4August 5, 2062334 d
60ReleaseA♯3, F♯4February 5, 2064549 d
61SoundA3, A4January 5, 20671,065 d
ReleaseD♯4
62ReleaseD4June 5, 2067151 d
63ReleaseA2, A4July 5, 2068396 d
64ReleaseD♭4 (16′)March 5, 2071973 d
65ReleaseB4July 5, 2071122 d

See also

References
  1. 'World's longest concert' resumes, Steve Rosenberg, BBC News (2008-07-05). Accessed 2008-07-05.
  2. "The Towerlight, Fifteen hours at the organ". Media.www.thetowerlight.com. Archived from the original on 2009-02-10. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
  3. "AllRequest: As Slow As Possible 24 Hour Performance". YouTube. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
  4. "Stephen Whittington: Musical Renewal". RealTime. Retrieved 2012-09-27.
  5. "News and Events". J.M. Coetzee Centre for Creative Practice. Retrieved 2012-09-27.
  6. "John Cage Day, Wednesday 5th September 2012". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-13. Retrieved 2012-09-27.
  7. "John Cage Day Celebrated in Adelaide with Free Concert in Elder Hall". Herald Sun Newspaper. Retrieved 2012-09-27.
  8. "John Cage: Organ2 / ASLSP". Music Canterburyn. 2019-06-14. Retrieved 2019-07-07.
  9. First notes for 639-year composition, BBC News (2003-02-05). Accessed 2008-07-05.
  10. Gonsher, Aaron. "A Visit to John Cage's 639-Year Organ Composition". redbullmusicacademy.com.
  11. Bekker, Henk (2020-07-05). "Hear John Cage's Slowest Piece of Music in the World in Halberstadt". european-traveler.com.
  12. "Sankt Burchardi Church Organ". atlasobscura.com. Retrieved 2018-12-20.
  13. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "5 Min 48 sek von 639 Jahren: JOHN CAGE ORGAN 2 / ASLSP IN HALBERSTADT". YouTube.
  14. "News - John-Cage-Orgelprojekt Halberstadt". www.aslsp.org. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  15. "the Halberstadt event website". John-cage.halberstadt.de. 2004-11-19. Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
  16. "One Thousand Hear Change of Note in World's Longest Concert". Deutsche Welle. Deutsche Presse-Agentur. 2008-07-05. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
  17. "YouTube, a Google company". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2020-09-05.
  18. "Klangwechsel - John-Cage-Orgelprojekt Halberstadt". www.aslsp.org. Archived from the original on 2021-09-10. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
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