A Blasphemous Thought on Cage

Ever since my first encounters with his writings (shallow readings to be sure, but having a lasting impact nonetheless), I just can't shake the feeling that Cage has even more to offer to traditionalists than to experimentalists. What I mean by this is that his trademark philosophies may have opened up a whole new world, but this doesn't mean they cannot or should not be applied to the old one. Perhaps this requires a certain amount of willful misreading, not only of Cage but also of what I am calling traditional music, yet I see few drawbacks and many rewards to this scenario. What a pleasure (not to mention a relief) it is to hear the sounds of the Eroica Symphony just being themselves; Beethoven's intent need not always be ours.