Ben Johnston: String Quartet no.4, “Amazing Grace”
Ben Johnston’s main goal was to speak clearly and intelligently to a wide audience
using avant-garde music. One of his most compelling instances of this is with his work String Quartet no. 4 “Amazing Grace.” The quartet uses three different tunings in its eleven-minute span, all of them forms of just intonation. The first form is known as Pythagorean tuning ( based on chains of pure fifths), the next is triadic just intonation ( based on pure fifths and pure major thirds), and last is known as the experimental form of extended just intonation using, in addition to pure fifths and thirds, intervals derived from the seventh partial of the overtone series ( a narrow minor 7th quite different from its equal-tempered equivalent). Using this pitch world and varies complex rhythms, the fourth string quartet is known to be one of Johnston’s greatest works.
I really enjoyed Johnston’s arrangement of “Amazing Grace.” I thought the opening was gorgeous. He uses right away the intervals of open fifths. Also, I love how he had the melody and a counter melody underneath it. I think this was a smart move on Johnston’s part because a everyday person who may not know anything about music knows the words and melody to “Amazing Grace.” Also, I like the fact he has the melody being played then takes it up an octave after the first time through the first phrase. This helped create a singing like quality to it. That is when the open fifths, Pythagorean tuning, really got to shine. The effect an interval of an open fifth gives you is a open sound. It also allows space to be filled by the other voices. The second part of this work shows off his knowledge of rhythm.
This rhythmic section still has the melody being played, but it is like the melody went into hover mode. What I mean it is like the melody is floating in the sky looking down at a city with cars, planes, and trains going on. That is the image that is created in my head when listening to this section. Later on in this piece Johnston starts to create dissidents by using minor seconds in the strings. This section is very quit. This quit section then flows into what I think might be an interlude into the next section. This section was my favorite because it starts off with three of the string players playing complex rhythms with unique harmonies. Then out of nowhere, the lead string player comes in and plays the melody on top of the three string players. This was an effective idea because while listening to the three strings, with the melody being played over the top, it created an different mood towards the melody.
At the end of all of this section the melody is played again only this time it will land on a flat nine of a dominant chord. Or, the melody will be played and the harmony will suddenly change on you. For example, on the part of the song were it goes, “How sweet the sound,” on the word sound the strings change to a darker color. Instead of a major chord they might play a dominant chord with a flat 13 or flat or sharp nine.
Overall, I really enjoyed Johnston’s “Amazing Grace.” I believe it should be recognized as part of the canon. I thought it was well thought out and organized. One way Johnston took Amazing Grace and organized it was by playing it in the variation that everyone knows it as. Then, he took it and used his own ideas and creativity and played it in ways he heard it. In return, your audience listens, with the response, “I know that song!” Then when they feel comfortable with the song, it goes in a different direction. This forces the average listener to think what just happened to my song, and that is when they really start to listen. I liked that he had the tune played normal and the way everyone knew it first. I believe this shows respect for the song and the composer who wrote it. Then I like how he kept stretching it and stretching it as if he was thinking let me see how far I can take my listeners. Then he comes back with the melody but this time with more advanced harmonies. Because of these reasons and the Johnston’s rhythmic concept, I believe this work should be considered part of the canon.
Ben Johnston’s main goal was to speak clearly and intelligently to a wide audience
using avant-garde music. One of his most compelling instances of this is with his work String Quartet no. 4 “Amazing Grace.” The quartet uses three different tunings in its eleven-minute span, all of them forms of just intonation. The first form is known as Pythagorean tuning ( based on chains of pure fifths), the next is triadic just intonation ( based on pure fifths and pure major thirds), and last is known as the experimental form of extended just intonation using, in addition to pure fifths and thirds, intervals derived from the seventh partial of the overtone series ( a narrow minor 7th quite different from its equal-tempered equivalent). Using this pitch world and varies complex rhythms, the fourth string quartet is known to be one of Johnston’s greatest works.
I really enjoyed Johnston’s arrangement of “Amazing Grace.” I thought the opening was gorgeous. He uses right away the intervals of open fifths. Also, I love how he had the melody and a counter melody underneath it. I think this was a smart move on Johnston’s part because a everyday person who may not know anything about music knows the words and melody to “Amazing Grace.” Also, I like the fact he has the melody being played then takes it up an octave after the first time through the first phrase. This helped create a singing like quality to it. That is when the open fifths, Pythagorean tuning, really got to shine. The effect an interval of an open fifth gives you is a open sound. It also allows space to be filled by the other voices. The second part of this work shows off his knowledge of rhythm.
This rhythmic section still has the melody being played, but it is like the melody went into hover mode. What I mean it is like the melody is floating in the sky looking down at a city with cars, planes, and trains going on. That is the image that is created in my head when listening to this section. Later on in this piece Johnston starts to create dissidents by using minor seconds in the strings. This section is very quit. This quit section then flows into what I think might be an interlude into the next section. This section was my favorite because it starts off with three of the string players playing complex rhythms with unique harmonies. Then out of nowhere, the lead string player comes in and plays the melody on top of the three string players. This was an effective idea because while listening to the three strings, with the melody being played over the top, it created an different mood towards the melody.
At the end of all of this section the melody is played again only this time it will land on a flat nine of a dominant chord. Or, the melody will be played and the harmony will suddenly change on you. For example, on the part of the song were it goes, “How sweet the sound,” on the word sound the strings change to a darker color. Instead of a major chord they might play a dominant chord with a flat 13 or flat or sharp nine.
Overall, I really enjoyed Johnston’s “Amazing Grace.” I believe it should be recognized as part of the canon. I thought it was well thought out and organized. One way Johnston took Amazing Grace and organized it was by playing it in the variation that everyone knows it as. Then, he took it and used his own ideas and creativity and played it in ways he heard it. In return, your audience listens, with the response, “I know that song!” Then when they feel comfortable with the song, it goes in a different direction. This forces the average listener to think what just happened to my song, and that is when they really start to listen. I liked that he had the tune played normal and the way everyone knew it first. I believe this shows respect for the song and the composer who wrote it. Then I like how he kept stretching it and stretching it as if he was thinking let me see how far I can take my listeners. Then he comes back with the melody but this time with more advanced harmonies. Because of these reasons and the Johnston’s rhythmic concept, I believe this work should be considered part of the canon.
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