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 neoclassicism and serialism to jazz and southern hymnody--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 collection 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years and brings together forty-one of Johnston's most important writings, including many rare and several previously unpublished selections.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. A discography of commercially available recordings of Johnston's music closes out the collection.

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.

Editor's Acknowledgments   xi
Introduction   xi   Bob Gilmore
Ben Johnston: A Chronology   xxv   Bob Gilmore

1. ON MUSIC THEORY
Aesthetic Theory; Philosophical Background for Mathematical Theory; Musical Background for Application of Mathematical Theory   3
Scalar Order as a Compositional Resource   10
Proportionality and Expanded Musical Pitch Relations   32
Microtonal Resources   41
Tonality Regained   46
Music Theory   53
Rational Structure in Music   62
A Notation System for Extended Just Intonation   77

2. ON MUSICAL AESTHETICS AND CULTURE
Musical Intelligibility: Where Are We?   91
A Talk on Contemporary Music   103
Festivals and New Music   107
Three Attacks on a Problem   109
On Context   118
Contribution to IMC Panel   122
How to Cook an Albatross   126
Art and Survival   134
On Bridge-Building   143
Seventeen Items   149
Art and Religion   151
Extended Just Intonation: A Position Paper   153
A.S.U.C. Keynote Address   156
Just Intonation and Mere Intonation   163
Without Improvement   166
Maximum Clarity   171

3. SOME COMPOSITIONS
On String Quartet No. 2   183
On Sonata for Microtonal Piano   185
The Genesis of Knocking Piece   187
Quintet for Groups: A Reminiscence   192
On Carmilla   196
On Crossings (String Quartet No. 3 and String Quartet No. 4)   199
On The Age of Surveillance   201
On String Quartet No. 5   203
On String Quartet No. 6   204
On Journeys   205
On Sleep and Waking   207

4. ON OTHER COMPOSERS
Letter from Urbana   211
To Perspectives of New Music re. John Cage   216
The Corporealism of Harry Partch   219
Harry Partch/John Cage   232
Harry Partch's Cloud-Chamber Music   235
Beyond Harry Partch   243
Regarding La Monte Young   251

Notes on Sources   259
Bibliography   263
Discography   267
Index   271