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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.

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Promotion

Musical composition by John Cage

This article is about the music. For the GIF of a similar name, see AS Long As Possible (ASLAP) Organ2/ASLSP has been playing in Halberstadt for 21 years, 3 months, 2 weeks and 6 days 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] 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 [ edit ]

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 [ edit ]

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 [ edit ]

The bellows used for the Halberstadt performance.

The organ used for the Halberstadt performance.

Background [ edit ]

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 [ edit ]

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 [ edit ]

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. "ASLSP, Halberstat, Jan 5 2006 note change" The note change of January 5, 2006 takes place at 8:35 in this audio clip. Problems playing this file? See media help.

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Promotion

John Cage Organ2/ASLSP (639 years, part 1)[18] Impulse Action Notes Date Chord

length 1 Begin none September 5, 2001 2 Sound G ♯ 4 , B 4 , G ♯ 5 February 5, 2003 518 d 3 Sound E 3 , E 4 July 5, 2004 516 d 4 Release G ♯ 4 , B 4 July 5, 2005 365 d 5 Sound A 4 , C 5 , F ♯ 5 January 5, 2006 184 d 6 Release E 3 , E 4 May 5, 2006 120 d 7 Sound C 4 , A ♭ 4 July 5, 2008 792 d 8 Release C 4 November 5, 2008 123 d 9 Sound D 4 , E 5 February 5, 2009 92 d 10 Release E 5 July 5, 2010 515 d 11 Release D 4 , G ♯ 5 February 5, 2011 215 d 12 Sound C 4 (16′), D ♭ 4 (16′) August 5, 2011 181 d Release A ♭ 4 13 Release A 4 , C 5 , F ♯ 5 July 5, 2012 335 d 14 Sound D ♯ 4 , A ♯ 4 , E 5 October 5, 2013 457 d 15 Sound G ♯ 3 , E 4 September 5, 2020 2,527 d 16 Release G ♯ 3 February 5, 2022 518 d 17 Sound D 4 February 5, 2024 730 d 18 Sound A 4 August 5, 2026 912 d 19 Release E 4 October 5, 2027 426 d 20 Sound G 3 April 5, 2028 183 d 21 Release D 4 August 5, 2028 122 d 22 Release A 4 March 5, 2030 577 d 23 Release D ♯ 4 , E 5 September 5, 2030 184 d 24 Release G 3 May 5, 2033 973 d 25 Sound B 3 December 5, 2033 214 d 26 Sound F 3 , D 4 August 5, 2034 243 d 27 Release F 3 , D 4 September 5, 2034 31 d 28 Release B 3 October 5, 2034 30 d 29 Sound D ♭ 5 June 5, 2035 243 d 30 Sound A 2 (16′) September 5, 2037 823 d Release D ♭ 5 31 Sound A ♭ 4 , A ♭ 5 March 5, 2038 181 d 32 Release A ♭ 5 July 5, 2038 122 d 33 Release A ♭ 4 May 5, 2039 304 d Impulse Action Notes Date Chord length 34 Sound D 4 , A ♭ 4 December 5, 2039 214 d 35 Release D 4 , A ♭ 4 April 5, 2040 122 d 36 Sound D ♭ 3 , B ♭ 3 January 5, 2041 275 d 37 Release D ♭ 3 , B ♭ 3 March 5, 2042 424 d 38 Release A 2 (16′) November 5, 2043 610 d 39 Sound A 3 , D 4 July 5, 2044 243 d 40 Sound E 4 March 5, 2045 243 d Release A ♯ 4 41 Sound B 4 , C 5 , A ♯ 5 March 5, 2046 365 d 42 Release C 4 (16′), B 4 , C 5 , A ♯ 5 October 5, 2047 579 d 43 Sound C 3 (16′) February 5, 2049 489 d 44 Sound D ♯ 4 , A 4 April 5, 2050 424 d 45 Release A 3 , D 4 , E 4 February 5, 2051 306 d 46 Release D ♯ 4 , A 4 November 5, 2051 273 d 47 Sound E ♭ 3 , B 3 May 5, 2053 547 d 48 Release C 3 (16′) November 5, 2054 549 d 49 Release E ♭ 3 , B 3 July 5, 2056 608 d 50 Sound B ♭ 4 August 5, 2057 396 d 51 Sound A 2 (16′) May 5, 2058 273 d 52 Release A 2 (16′) November 5, 2059 549 d 53 Sound G ♭ 4 , C 5 , D ♭ 5 April 5, 2060 152 d 54 Release G ♭ 4 , C 5 , D ♭ 5 June 5, 2060 61 d 55 Sound E 4 November 5, 2060 153 d Release B ♭ 4 56 Sound B 4 , C 5 , E ♭ 5 , C 6 February 5, 2061 92 d 57 Release C 5 , E ♭ 5 , C 6 April 5, 2061 59 d 58 Sound D 4 September 5, 2061 153 d Release E 4 59 Sound A ♯ 3 , D ♯ 4 , F ♯ 4 August 5, 2062 334 d 60 Release A ♯ 3 , F ♯ 4 February 5, 2064 549 d 61 Sound A 3 , A 4 January 5, 2067 1,065 d Release D ♯ 4 62 Release D 4 June 5, 2067 151 d 63 Release A 2 , A 4 July 5, 2068 396 d 64 Release D ♭ 4 (16′) March 5, 2071 973 d 65 Release B 4 July 5, 2071 122 d