Silence / John Cage / First Edition / Signed & Inscribed to Patron Betty Freeman

Description: Silence : Lectures and Writings Author: CAGE, John Title: Silence : Lectures and Writings Description: A significant association copy inscribed by Cage to his patron Betty Freeman, marking a pivotal moment in the career of one of America's preeminent postmodern composers. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press, 1961. First edition. Square 8vo. Black cloth, blind-stamped to front board; white and bronze spine titles; dust jacket. Xii, 276pp. Bottom corners lightly bumped/swollen; toning to textblock edges; spot of soiling to ffep below inscription. Price-clipped jacket with edgewear and rubbing, foxing and faint dampstaining to interior. Very good in a like jacket. Inscribed by Cage on ffep: "For Betty Freeman with gratitude for her interest and activity. John Cage (after the California Tour January '65." Presentation copy of the first book by experimental American composer John Cage (1912-1992), as inscribed by him to American photographer and philanthropist Betty Freeman (1921-2009), who was noted for her extensive patronage of new musicians—Cage prominent among them. In addition to being one of his most generous financial supporters, Freeman and Cage enjoyed a close relationship for many decades, prompting him to write to her in a 1989 letter: "One of the great pleasures of my life is our friendship" (Silverman, Begin Again, p. 281). Cage first approached Freeman in 1964 while fundraising for his and Merce Cunningham's upcoming world tour, which Freeman agreed to help finance. That undertaking ended somewhat disastrously, with a number of Cunningham's dancers quitting mid-tour, and Cage returning to America at the end of the year to face a mountain of debt. His California tour of January 1965—during which he inscribed the present volume—was in large part a fundraising endeavor to pay off those debts. Whether Freeman provided direct financial assistance at that time is unclear; that same year, however, she set up an annual grant to cover Cage's living expenses until his death. In 1977, she commissioned him to compose a series of solo etudes for violin, which he named the Freeman Etudes in her honor. Dividing Line Books Guarantee Dividing Line Books treats every order according to strict ethical and professional standards. We take our book grading very seriously, and tend to err on the conservative side. Unless otherwise noted, all books identified as first editions are also first printings. All books are guaranteed as described and returnable for free within 30 days for any reason. Shipping All books ship free to domestic addresses via USPS Media Mail. In most cases, delivery takes place within a three to ten day window. For those who desire expedited service, we are happy to upgrade shipping to Priority Mail; please contact us prior to placing your order so that we can make the requisite changes. Packaging We ship all of our books in new cardboard boxes with ample padding. Pamphlets and soft-bound items are ocassionally shipped in flat mailers with internal cardboard supports to prevent bends and creases. All books with dust jackets are fitted with brand new archival protectors prior to shipping. Customer Service If you have any questions about an item, please don't hesitate to get in touch. We are happy to field inquiries of any nature, and will usually get back within 24 hours with additional photos, condition or bibliographic details, or any other requested information. If for any reason you are unhappy with a purchased item, you may return it for free within 30 days, no questions asked. Buying books shouldn't be a guessing game, and we want you to be as confident as possible before making a purchase.

Price: 1650 USD

Location: Ridgewood, New York

End Time: 2025-01-15T20:53:29.000Z

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