Related Objects

KPFA-FM Music Dept. ➔ Morning Concert: The Music of Ben Johnston, 1 of 2

Analog Audio

Event Type

Interview and Music

Origin

KPFA

Identifier

MC.1981.12.11.A

Program Series

Morning Concert

Program Length

126 min

Part

1 of 2

Dates

1981-12-11 | broadcast
| 1981-10-17 | created

Description

American composer Benjamin Burwell Johnston was born March 15, 1926 in Macon, GA. Living briefly in Berkeley, CA, in 1950, he was associated with Harry Partch and studied at the University of California and Mills College. From 1951 to 1983 he taught at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In this program, recorded in 1981, Johnston is interviewed by Charles Amirkhanian about his career, compositions, and influences. A composer fundamentally partial to microtones, Johnston discusses his discovery of just intonation, initiated by his contact with composer Partch. Heard during this program is a selection of Johnston’s microtonal music, including his string quartet built around the theme of “Amazing Grace” and his “Suite for Microtonal Music”, as well as his “Knocking Piece” in which two performers rap upon the interior and exterior of a grand piano. (from KPFA Folio)

Genres

20th century classical
Microtonal music

Musical Selections

String Quartet No. 4 “Ascent” (Amazing Grace) (1973) (11:26) / Ben Johnston -- Two Sonnets of Shakespeare: What Potions Have I Drunk ; Sweet Love Renew Thy Force (1978) (10:00) / Ben Johnston -- Study in an Ancient Phrygian Scale (1946) (1:10) / Harry Partch -- Study in the Ancient Greek Enharmonic Scale (1946) (1:54) / Harry Partch

Performers

Fine Arts Quartet (Quartet)
Philip Larson, bass-baritone (Sonnets)
SONOR Ensemble (Sonnets)
Bernard Rands, conductor (Sonnets)
Harry Partch, harmonic canon (Scales)
Ben Johnston, bass marimba (Scales)

Subjects

20th century classical
Microtonal music
Just intonation
Musical intervals and scales
String quartets
Songs (Low voice) with instrumental ensemble
Harmonic canon and marimba music

Acknowledgment

Funding for the preservation of this program made possible through a grant by the GRAMMY Foundation.

Related places

Berkeley (Calif.) (was recorded at)
Berkeley (Calif.) (was broadcast at)

Related Entities

Fine Arts Quartet
SONOR (Musical group)
Amirkhanian, Charles
Johnston, Ben
Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616
Larson, Philip
Rands, Bernard
Partch, Harry, 1901-1974