17 December 2010 Last updated at 14:15 ET

What John Cage's silent symphony really means

Listen to Frank Zappa, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and others perform John Cage's "silent" piece 4'33".

Why have different musicians recorded a piece of music with no notes? This slideshow tells the story of Cage's infamous, and much performed, work. The first 20 seconds are, appropriately, silent.

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Slideshow production by Alan Connor

Related links:

John Cage explains his work

The importance of silence

Wombles composer Mike Batt's silence legal row 'a scam'

Stars stay silent in X Factor protest

More audio slideshows:

Artists and creative block

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