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RE: Classical Musical Exploration: The Alternative Tuning and Just Intonation of Ben Johnston

in #music7 years ago

Are you a closeted car singer? Is that what you're saying? We'll have to talk to Doug about sneaking a camera in with you.

Johnston really gets into some crazy syncopated rhythms in his piano pieces.

Here's one with 6 over 5 polyrhythms (another way of putting your performer through some pretty brutal paces!) Parts of it make for pretty challenging listening, and other parts are absolutely entrancing - like melodious rain hitting the roof. (The whole thing is only a few minutes long.)

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That is pretty powerful stuff. A lot of layers. The first part of this piece is so like rain - one of my favorite sounds. I love the unpredictability of the music. It takes some serious concentration to listen to properly so I can't even imagine how challenging it is to play.

When the music transitions about 1/3 of the way in it reminds me a bit of something I saw on TV a long time ago. The TV special's music left an impression on me at the time. The dance (it's hard to remember well but I think it was ballet) was something about a puppet with broken strings. I loved the correlation of the music and the way the dancer portrayed the broken toy that was uncoordinated and uncontrolled.

P.S. I deny all accusations of car singing and want to call my lawyer. 😉