John Cage: Organ playing 639-year-long piece changes chord

The composition titled “Organ²/ASLSP (As Slow as Possible),” known for being the longest and slowest music piece in existence, reached a noteworthy moment on Monday as it changed chord for the first time in two years. Avant-garde composer John Cage initiated this experimental project in 2001, employing a specially-built organ for its performance. The composition, set to conclude in the year 2640, attracted crowds to a church in Germany, where volunteers added a new pipe to the mechanical organ to introduce the latest chord.

The unique musical endeavor began with 18 months of silence, and the first notes were only heard in 2003. The score, spanning eight pages and intended for piano or organ, carries the instruction to be played as slowly as possible without specifying an exact tempo. This recent chord change marked the 16th alteration in the composition, with the last one occurring exactly two years ago on 5 February 2022. According to the project’s website, the next scheduled chord change is set for 5 August 2026.

John Cage, an American composer who played a pivotal role in experimental and avant-garde music during the 20th century, passed away in 1992. His most famous piece, “4’33”,” is unconventional in that it instructs musicians to refrain from playing their instruments. Instead, listeners experience the ambient sounds of their surroundings during the four minutes and 33 seconds of the performance. The extended rendition of “Organ²/ASLSP” was born out of a meeting of musicians and philosophers following Cage’s death, employing a mechanical organ designed for practicality using an electronic wind machine and sand bags to create a drone-like sound.

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