source file: mills3.txt Date: Sat, 3 Jan 1998 17:39:11 +0100 Subject: Johnston, Schneider, Catler, tape swap From: "kris peck" > Paul H. Erlich wrote: > >Meantone results in no drift. A C is a C is a C. Other tunings will drift, > C > >will often end up around where B used to be. Ben Johnston, a JI composer, > has > >used this fact in writing Beethoven-style passages, which he follows with > >other passages that cause the music to drift back up. What music is this? Is a recording available? > > The only Ben Johnston composition in my collection is the "Amazing Grace" > recording by Kronos. It is a wonderful work, with some really effective > modulations. Yes. I have also become interested in Johnston on the basis of the Kronos recording. I would usually consider the song "Amazing Grace" to be a good candidate for "most obnoxious song ever written." Johnston has earned my respect by arranging it into a piece that I actually enjoy immensely! >Can anyone recommend other recordings of his music? I recently picked up a new recording of Johnston's Microtonal Piano pieces. (Found it at a local record store!) Nothing like SQ#4 of course. It has some beautiful moments and lots of scary moments. I've also got a Johnston CD titled "Ponder Nothing", containing various chamber pieces. Very worthwhile if you can find it. I ordered it from Barnes and Noble. (It only took them about 7 months to get it.) I would be very interested in hearing more of his string quartet material. I think a couple of them are available through CRI? I haven't followed up on this yet. > Oh, I also have Kronos' recording of Partch's "Barstow" with Johnston doing > the vocal part. I find it academic and obnoxious. It begs the question > "Why?". This is not a work for string quartet, and it just sounds wrong. > John Schneider's recording, on the other hand, projects the spirit of the > lyrics quite well. Barstow (and a lot of Partch's vocal material) has never excited me much, probably because I don't fully understand it. I think the Schneider version sounds really out of place wedged in between all those lovely Harrison pieces. Incidentally, since the list has recently been discussing microtonal guitar CD favorites, the two John Schneider discs are right up at the top of the heap. I particularly love the Harrison pieces on the Just Strings disc, but the renditions of Partch's "Two Studies" and Cage's "In a Landscape" are really swell too. But the Lou Harrison Music for Guitar and Percussion is the even more spectacular. This is a desert island disc for me. Does anyone know of any more Schneider recordings in the works? I like the Catler Crash Landing disc too, although it took me a long time to get used to it. Watch out for his other (earlier?) disc "Steel Blue". I got it from JIN and couldn't believe it was the same guy. It's kind of amateurish hard rock, complete with moronic lyrics. Pretty disappointing after listening to Crash Landing. ..and one more thing. Last week after returning home from holiday travels, I found in my mailbox the Tuning List Swap Tape. It was my most unusual Christmas present this year. Amazing variety of material, giving me a better glimpse into some of the charmingly psychotic minds participating in this forum. Thanks again to Denis, Gary, and whoever else was involved... kp SMTPOriginator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu From: "Bob Lee" Subject: Re: What do you play? PostedDate: 03-01-98 17:41:38 SendTo: CN=coul1358/OU=AT/O=EZH ReplyTo: tuning@eartha.mills.edu $MessageStorage: 0 $UpdatedBy: CN=notesrv2/OU=Server/O=EZH,CN=coul1358/OU=AT/O=EZH,CN=Manuel op de Coul/OU=AT/O=EZH RouteServers: CN=notesrv2/OU=Server/O=EZH,CN=notesrv1/OU=Server/O=EZH RouteTimes: 03-01-98 17:39:13-03-01-98 17:39:14,03-01-98 17:38:33-03-01-98 17:38:33 DeliveredDate: 03-01-98 17:38:33 Categories: $Revisions: Received: from ns.ezh.nl ([137.174.112.59]) by notesrv2.ezh.nl (Lotus SMTP MTA SMTP v4.6 (462.2 9-3-1997)) with SMTP id C1256581.005B7803; Sat, 3 Jan 1998 17:41:01 +0100 Received: by ns.ezh.nl; (5.65v3.2/1.3/10May95) id AA07348; Sat, 3 Jan 1998 17:41:38 +0100 Date: Sat, 3 Jan 1998 17:41:38 +0100 Received: from ella.mills.edu by ns (smtpxd); id XA07383 Received: (qmail 3579 invoked from network); 3 Jan 1998 08:41:35 -0800 Received: from localhost (HELO ella.mills.edu) (127.0.0.1) by localhost with SMTP; 3 Jan 1998 08:41:35 -0800 Message-Id: <01bd1865$185db5c0$795e04c7@quasar> Errors-To: madole@mills.edu Reply-To: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Originator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Sender: tuning@eartha.mills.edu