# RIP Ben Johnston



## Lisztian (Oct 10, 2011)

American composer Ben Johnston, just-intonation experimenter and microtonal wizard, has passed away.

I don't know much of his music but understand he had quite the 'underground' following. Any fans here? I understand his wonderful 7th quartet is his most renowned work:


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## Portamento (Dec 8, 2016)

Nooo! Loved this man's string quartets! Glad he was alive to see them recorded by the astounding Kepler Quartet.


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## ECraigR (Jun 25, 2019)

What a shame. I guess he was pretty old, but I kept hoping he’d continue on forever. I too love his string quartets.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

RIP. He was 93. I think all I have of his work is his SQ4 'Amazing Grace' on a Kronos Quartet CD. I'll check what our library can provide.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

He was interested in Just Intonation. I like the earlier quartets very much, the later ones less so. I also have this CD where I feel the same - the music from the 1960s and 1970s and early 1980s is more my cup of tea than the later. In some sense I'm clearly a modernist!


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## Reichstag aus LICHT (Oct 25, 2010)

Another fan of his string quartets, here. RIP.


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

I'm a fan of Ben Johnston as well. I've got The String Quartets 1, 5, and 10. Also, his Sonata for microtonal piano.


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## tortkis (Jul 13, 2013)

The first Johnston's work I listened to was String Quartet No. 2 played by The Composers Quartet on the album coupled with Cage/Hiller HPSCHD. At that time it sounded quite avant garde and incomprehensible, but as I listened to his other quartets, I have been impressed more and more. Kepler Quartet's recordings are great achievements. I have been listening to Johnston these days: all the quartets, piano works, chamber works, and Ruminations, a collection of his later works, which are melodic and accessible.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

tortkis said:


> The first Johnston's work I listened to was String Quartet No. 2 played by The Composers Quartet on the album coupled with Cage/Hiller HPSCHD. At that time it sounded quite avant garde and incomprehensible, but as I listened to his other quartets, I have been impressed more and more. Kepler Quartet's recordings are great achievements. I have been listening to Johnston these days: all the quartets, piano works, chamber works, and Ruminations, a collection of his later works, which are melodic and accessible.


Yep, he sold out.


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