Ben Johnston

with Adam Silverman

Rocky Mountain, North Carolina

January 3, 1999

Table of Contents

Side l                                                                                                                          pp. 1-18

Fourth String Quartet--Third String Quartet--tonalizing twelve-tone music--La Salle Quartet and performances of his string quartets--composing in just intonation--John Cage--analysis of Fourth String Quartet published in Perspectives in New Music--rationale for using just intonation--Stockhausen--art: emotion, intellect and the senses--Fourth String Quartet--Mass--Knocking Piece--relationship with Kronos Quartet--concert at Kennedy Center--Second, Fourth, Fifth, and Eighth Quartets--Partch--Eleven Intrusions--Hobo Pieces--Dark Brother--U.S. Highball--Tenth Quartet--issue of authenticity of performances of Partch’s music--Partch’s importance--La Monte Young--17 Lyrics by Li Po of Partch.

Side m                                                                                                                       pp. 18-34

Helmholtz--U.S. Highball--The Wooden Bird--Eleven Intrusions--Dark Brother--chromelodeon--job at University of Illinois--work at Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center--work with John Cage--serialism vs. other styles--Johnston’s neo-classic music of the fifties--Gambit for Merce Cunningham--Suite for Microtonal Piano--influence on him of Stravinsky--Duo for Two Violins--Sleep and Waking--influence of gamelan--Lou Harrison--reaction to minimalism--Steve Reich--La Monte Young--Partch--Ninth String Quartet--Sixth String Quartet--Calamity Jane to Her Daughter--just intonation--Ponder Nothing--jazz pieces in just intonation--Fourth Quartet.

Side n                                                                                                                                    pp. 34-49

Just intonation vs. tempered tunings--microtonality--Partch’s tuning--performance of Johnston’s music: Mass, Symphony in A--teaching people to play in just intonation--first attempts in just intonation--Harry Partch--friendship with John Cage--Cage and his collaborations with Lejaren Hiller at the University of Illinois--David Tudor concert--influence of Cage’s aleatoric music and Schoenberg’s serialism--Oriental philosophy--Mass--Fourth Quartet--Sleep and Waking--Calamity Jane to Her Daughter--use of Rumi poems--in memoriam piece for Salvatore Martirano--his work at a hospice--philosophical issues in his music--orchestra song for soprano--pieces that are his greatest accomplishments--Calamity Jane and Ninth Quartet, Attar and the Invocation--teaching at the University of Illinois.

Side o                                                                                                                         pp. 49-62

Turnover at the University of Illinois--Festival of Contemporary Arts: Gunther Schuller, Elliott Carter, Harry Partch--running the Festival--other well known musicians invited--Lejaren Hiller--Salvatore Martirano, Ed London, Paul Zonn--performing group formed--importance of University of Illinois as a place to study composition--uptown--downtown--rift in New York City and Johnston’s position.