Maximum Clarity and Other Writings on Music by Ben Johnston

Maximum Clarity and Other Writings on Music by Ben Johnston

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 jazz to Southern hymns--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 volume reveals he is also a truly literate composer, who writes and speaks about music with eloquence and charm. Maximum Clarity and Other Writings on Music 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years and brings together forty-one of Johnston's most important writings, including many rare and several previously unpublished selections.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. The volume concludes with a discography of all commercially available recordings of Johnston's music.

Awarded the ASCAP Deems Taylor Award (2007)— ASCAP Deems Taylor Award

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.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780252030987
ISBN 10	0252030982
Title	Maximum Clarity and Other Writings on Music
Author	Ben Johnston
Series	Music In American Life Ser
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	University of Illinois Press
Year published	2006-12-11
Number of pages	328
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.