Ben Johnston is an American composer internationally known for his work
with extended just intonation. This is a critical-analytical study of
his early compositions, his studies with Harry Partch and John Cage, and
his experiments with just intonation, serialism, indeterminacy, jazz,
and finally, extended just intonation. Pieces are analyzed and
biographical material is included. The main emphasis of the text,
however, is on examining Johnston's research about tuning and scalar
theory as it relates to just intonation. For a long time Johnston worked
in isolation; few people understood why someone would want to change the
standard pitch system. But gradually, as his music began to be heard,
especially his string quartets, performers and audiences experienced for
themselves the kind of clarity and beauty that is possible with just
intonation. This book is written for readers of varying musical
backgrounds. Thos interested in studying and performing Johnston's music
will find the book helpful in understanding his notational system and
learning how to listen for just intervals. Many examples and figures
document the musical analyses, which explain his compositional
techniques. With a foreword by John Cage, a catalog and discography of
Johnston's music, and a bibliography of the composer's writings.
