Ben Johnston
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Benjamin Burwell Johnston, Junior (born March 15, 1926 in Macon, Georgia) is a composer of contemporary music in the just intonation system.
Johnston taught composition and theory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 1951 to 1983. Johnston began as a traditional composer of art music before working with Harry Partch, helping the senior musician to build instruments and use them in the performance and recording of new compositions. After working with Partch, Johnston studied with Darius Milhaud at Mills College. It was in fact Partch himself who arranged for Johnston to study with Milhaud (Duckworth 1995, 122). It should be noted that Johnston struggled with just how to integrate just intonation into his compositions for a number of years. Since 1960 Johnston has used, almost exclusively, a system of microtonal notation based on the rational intervals of just intonation. Johnston also worked with John Cage, who encouraged him to pursue the composition of just-tuned music for traditional instruments.
Other works include the orchestral work Quintet for Groups (commissioned by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Sonnets of Desolation (commissioned by the Swingle Singers), the opera Carmilla, the Sonata for Microtonal Piano (1964) and the Suite for Microtonal Piano (1977). Johnston has completed ten string quartets to date.
Johnston taught composition and theory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 1951 to 1983. Johnston began as a traditional composer of art music before working with Harry Partch, helping the senior musician to build instruments and use them in the performance and recording of new compositions. After working with Partch, Johnston studied with Darius Milhaud at Mills College. It was in fact Partch himself who arranged for Johnston to study with Milhaud (Duckworth 1995, 122). It should be noted that Johnston struggled with just how to integrate just intonation into his compositions for a number of years. Since 1960 Johnston has used, almost exclusively, a system of microtonal notation based on the rational intervals of just intonation. Johnston also worked with John Cage, who encouraged him to pursue the composition of just-tuned music for traditional instruments.
Other works include the orchestral work Quintet for Groups (commissioned by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Sonnets of Desolation (commissioned by the Swingle Singers), the opera Carmilla, the Sonata for Microtonal Piano (1964) and the Suite for Microtonal Piano (1977). Johnston has completed ten string quartets to date.
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Lakret wrote:
Great music. Hopefully, more people will explore his art.
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zastari wrote:
I'm surprised that more people haven't been introduced to his work. His string quartets are so radical yet accessible.
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thefletch7786 wrote:
As a bass player, I'm glad Casta Bertram is his top track, but as a music fan, i'm very sad about the paucity of listeners
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mathanretik wrote:
Really one of the most fascinating contemporary composers, I love the 77 suite and all his microtonal music.
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Recent Activity
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0xkirill wrote about Ben Johnston in BBC Music Magazine Awards 2012. last month
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roberinho tagged Ben Johnston with just intonation, chamber music and contemporary classical. December 2011
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roberinho added Ben Johnston to roberinho’s library. December 2011
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Areskelian tagged Ben Johnston with microtonal and contemporary classical. December 2011
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miravep, beachframe, jameszall and 1 other person added Ben Johnston to their libraries. December 2011
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mistawill wrote about Ben Johnston in 2011, noch nicht ganz am Ende. December 2011
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Anu11 connected Ben Johnston to the group Just Intonation. November 2011
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A deleted user tagged Ben Johnston with classical, mnimalism, microsound and 4 other tags. November 2011
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cirtlok and medwards1983 added Ben Johnston to their libraries. November 2011
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meginrunar tagged Ben Johnston with ‘contemporary classical’. October 2011
Related Journals
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BBC Music Magazine Awards 2012
by 0xkirill |
14 Jan 2012
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2011, noch nicht ganz am Ende
by mistawill |
11 Dec 2011
| 5 comments
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Other Minds 14
by PeterLamons |
11 Mar 2009
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