Described by New York Times critic John Rockwell as "one of the best non-famous composers this country has to offer," Ben Johnston reconceives familiar idioms--ranging from neoclassicism and serialism to jazz and southern hymnody--using just intonation. Johnston studied with Darius Milhaud, Harry Partch, and John Cage, and is best known for his String Quartet No. 4, a complex series of variations on Amazing Grace. This collection spans forty years and brings together forty-one of Johnston's most important writings, including many rare and several previously unpublished selections. They include position papers, theoretical treatises, program notes, historical reflections, lectures, excerpts from interviews, and letters, and they cover a broad spectrum of concerns--from the technical exegesis of microtonality to the personal and the broadly humanistic. A discography of commercially available recordings of Johnston's music closes out the collection.
Ben Johnston (1926-2019) began his recording career in 1968. He taught theory and composition for thirty-three years at the School of Music at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Bob Gilmore (1961-2015) was a professor, musicologist, and keyboard player. His books include Harry Partch: A Biography.
Editor's Acknowledgments xi Introduction xi Bob Gilmore Ben Johnston: A Chronology xxv Bob Gilmore 1. ON MUSIC THEORY Aesthetic Theory; Philosophical Background for Mathematical Theory; Musical Background for Application of Mathematical Theory 3 Scalar Order as a Compositional Resource 10 Proportionality and Expanded Musical Pitch Relations 32 Microtonal Resources 41 Tonality Regained 46 Music Theory 53 Rational Structure in Music 62 A Notation System for Extended Just Intonation 77 2. ON MUSICAL AESTHETICS AND CULTURE Musical Intelligibility: Where Are We? 91 A Talk on Contemporary Music 103 Festivals and New Music 107 Three Attacks on a Problem 109 On Context 118 Contribution to IMC Panel 122 How to Cook an Albatross 126 Art and Survival 134 On Bridge-Building 143 Seventeen Items 149 Art and Religion 151 Extended Just Intonation: A Position Paper 153 A.S.U.C. Keynote Address 156 Just Intonation and Mere Intonation 163 Without Improvement 166 Maximum Clarity 171 3. SOME COMPOSITIONS On String Quartet No. 2 183 On Sonata for Microtonal Piano 185 The Genesis of Knocking Piece 187 Quintet for Groups: A Reminiscence 192 On Carmilla 196 On Crossings (String Quartet No. 3 and String Quartet No. 4) 199 On The Age of Surveillance 201 On String Quartet No. 5 203 On String Quartet No. 6 204 On Journeys 205 On Sleep and Waking 207 4. ON OTHER COMPOSERS Letter from Urbana 211 To Perspectives of New Music re. John Cage 216 The Corporealism of Harry Partch 219 Harry Partch/John Cage 232 Harry Partch's Cloud-Chamber Music 235 Beyond Harry Partch 243 Regarding La Monte Young 251 Notes on Sources 259 Bibliography 263 Discography 267 Index 271
Awarded the ASCAP Deems Taylor Award (2007).- ASCAP Deems Taylor Award
