This is one of the most beautiful pieces of music to come out of the 20th century. I studied w/ the composer @ The University of Illinois in the early 80’s. As far as I know Ben is still living. Ben worked and studied w/ Harry Partch to help build his percussion instruments in just intonation for Harry’s multi-media music and dance compositions and productions.
Written in pure just intonation using the ratios of the overtone series for pitch relationship fundamental=1:1, 8ve=2:1,5th=3:2, 4th=4:3, M3=5:4, m3=6:5 m, Natural 7th=7:6 etc…
@@0912317 What an honor it must have been to study with him! Unfortunately he passed away in 2019, but he did live to see the Kepler Quartet finish recording all his string quartets.
His quartets 2-10 are in just intonation microtuning. This one is partly based on the 7th harmonic or has "sixthtones". There's some unusual rhythms as well. Quartet 7 is supposed to be crazy. I'm reading Kyle Gann's The Arithmetic of Listening and there's an interlude about the 4th quartet at the end of chapter 9. See also La Monte Young's The Well-Tuned Piano. This reminds me of Firefly. I guess you could say all string quartets are in just intonation anyway, just like barbershop quartets. They're naturally going to detune 3rds and 7ths to harmonize chords.
Hey, no need to get down on the piano, still LOTS of interesting and innovative things being discovered (e.g. the raga piano that allows freely for note bending) and rediscovered (e.g. I found a video comparing Chopin's Funeral March on Young's Well-Temperament vs. Equal Temperament and was absolutely blown away by the difference).
why more composers and musicians dont go all out on the Partch aesthetics i'll never understand. way better than a life doing fucking beethoven and mahler shit. this here is music that ties my whole life together into a holy mandala. its music that is here and now, alive in every piece of my life and everyone elses.
@@koftu Yes absolutely! I still like to think that at some point the 7th Quartet will be recorded again. I think that one was only recorded by the Kepler Quartet
Esta Jo Schifter the just intonation aspect of it is heard in the way the harmony is so resonent. you can hear this resonance in some acapella music like barbershop quartets. but the style of music itself is really down to this composer.
just intonation + the melody is in (what would be called in the west) pentatonic major. he starts going all over the place about 2 1/2 minutes in but before that it's purely pentatonic.
This is pretty off base considering that's not what east asian folk music is nor is it what johnston wanted to do (higher tone scale with different harmonies)
Uncertainty Lich there are some parts that do Beginning until 3:00 does contain some east-asian-ish melodies And quiet part after 5:00 has that plucking giving it a bit east asian sound But for me it ain't some overall conclusion that the piece sounds east asian
Actually, the scale after 5:00 is an enharmonic scale from ancient Greece, I think. But yeah this part does sound somewhat asian-ish.. The piece in whole, however, does not resemble asian music.
where is my Adam Neely squad?
Adam's the man for pointing Johnston out
Here ı am 👊
I'm here
Im here as well
BASS
4:56 never heard anything so beautiful before.
Joel Saucedo yeah you probably have...
ua-cam.com/video/UFGDEOfhMXE/v-deo.html
Thank you!
This is one of the most beautiful pieces of music to come out of the 20th century. I studied w/ the composer @ The University of Illinois in the early 80’s. As far as I know Ben is still living. Ben worked and studied w/ Harry Partch to help build his percussion instruments in just intonation for Harry’s multi-media music and dance compositions and productions.
Written in pure just intonation using the ratios of the overtone series for pitch relationship fundamental=1:1, 8ve=2:1,5th=3:2, 4th=4:3, M3=5:4, m3=6:5 m, Natural 7th=7:6 etc…
@@0912317 What an honor it must have been to study with him! Unfortunately he passed away in 2019, but he did live to see the Kepler Quartet finish recording all his string quartets.
His quartets 2-10 are in just intonation microtuning. This one is partly based on the 7th harmonic or has "sixthtones". There's some unusual rhythms as well. Quartet 7 is supposed to be crazy. I'm reading Kyle Gann's The Arithmetic of Listening and there's an interlude about the 4th quartet at the end of chapter 9. See also La Monte Young's The Well-Tuned Piano. This reminds me of Firefly. I guess you could say all string quartets are in just intonation anyway, just like barbershop quartets. They're naturally going to detune 3rds and 7ths to harmonize chords.
12-tone did a video about The Well-Tuned Piano, definitely worth checking out even if you are familiar with the piece
The Kepler Quartet recorded Quartet 7 a while back, if you aren't already aware. It's every bit as crazy as you would expect, and just excellent.
Beautiful music from a great composer. I'll listen to anything by Ben Johnston.
even string quartet number 7?
@@DrSaav-my5ym I said I'd listen to anything by him. I didn't say I'd like it all. :)
Absolutely! The third movement is indeed my favorite of his
Seems appropriate that it quotes Partch's Greek studies from Eleven Intrusions around the middle there.
This piece represents so many emotions all at once with such a great finalle. I love it!
It is hearing music like this that makes me wish I had learned to play a stringed instrument instead of an equal-tempered instrument (piano)
If you have a keyboard you can MIDI-control virtual instruments tuned to any system you like
Hey, no need to get down on the piano, still LOTS of interesting and innovative things being discovered (e.g. the raga piano that allows freely for note bending) and rediscovered (e.g. I found a video comparing Chopin's Funeral March on Young's Well-Temperament vs. Equal Temperament and was absolutely blown away by the difference).
koftu Oh that’s amazing! Can you send the link?
@@FeonaLeeJones you can do a search for raga piano and there should be a bunch of results, but here's one: ua-cam.com/video/X7ti6HUX5xQ/v-deo.html
This is so beautiful.
I think the average American will start hating 'Amazing Grace' if compelled to come here.
This touched my soul deep inside
I listened over various performances of #4 and this one is the best, in my opinion. Even better than "official" one by Chronos quartet.
*Kepler ?
Kronos
Thank you!!
Such a wonderful piece -- and performance!
Stunning
Amazing piece, amazing performance!
why more composers and musicians dont go all out on the Partch aesthetics i'll never understand. way better than a life doing fucking beethoven and mahler shit. this here is music that ties my whole life together into a holy mandala. its music that is here and now, alive in every piece of my life and everyone elses.
Hells yeah
Wow!!!!
I'd always thought the Kepler Quartet was the only one to attempt these quartets. Nice to be proven wrong!
Let alone a group willing to do it live!
@@koftu Yes absolutely! I still like to think that at some point the 7th Quartet will be recorded again. I think that one was only recorded by the Kepler Quartet
Fantastic
It resembles music from Arcanum the game. A bit.
love this sound. what is it called so i can identify it.
It's called just intonation the technique the composer is using. But the reality is that its just good music.
Thanks.
Esta Jo Schifter
the just intonation aspect of it is heard in the way the harmony is so resonent. you can hear this resonance in some acapella music like barbershop quartets. but the style of music itself is really down to this composer.
just intonation + the melody is in (what would be called in the west) pentatonic major. he starts going all over the place about 2 1/2 minutes in but before that it's purely pentatonic.
can i buy this somewhere?
kronos quartet recorded this on the album 'white man sleeps'
The irony of western contemporary classical music eventually returning to a sound that more resembles east asian folk music.
This is pretty off base considering that's not what east asian folk music is nor is it what johnston wanted to do (higher tone scale with different harmonies)
+Charlie Tian It DOES sound like east asian folk music. I know that wasn't Johnston's goal, but just listen to it...
Uncertainty Lich there are some parts that do
Beginning until 3:00 does contain some east-asian-ish melodies
And quiet part after 5:00 has that plucking giving it a bit east asian sound
But for me it ain't some overall conclusion that the piece sounds east asian
the irony of being a total dumbfuck LMAO
Actually, the scale after 5:00 is an enharmonic scale from ancient Greece,
I think. But yeah this part does sound somewhat asian-ish..
The piece in whole, however, does not resemble asian music.