atonality & serialism

I just have to toot Ben Johnston's horn one more
time, this time in response to the "is serialism atonal?"
debate. I know of at least one example where
serialism is most emphatically NOT atonal (and it's
not Bach either).

In his 6th Quartet [late 1970s], Johnston forged an
amazing synthesis of serialism and just-intonation.

He splits his row in half (hexachordal division was
explored a bit by Schoenberg in his last compositions:
see "A Study of Hexachord Levels in Schoenberg's
Violin Fantasy" by David Lewin, in _Perspectives on
Schoenberg and Stravinsky_, p 78 - 92), and makes
each hexachord a 6-note JI chord, with identities
1 thru 11 (� la Partch), arranges these tonal
hexachords so that one of them always has the six
12-eq pitch-classes that are missing in the other
(thus completing a 12-tone row), then combines
hexachordal serial processes (with inversions,
retrogrades, and all the usual serial apparatus) with
the tonal structures produced by his extended JI.

This piece is an astounding intellectual acheivment,
and most incredibly of all, thru all the numerical
methodology, it still sounds great and packs a real
emotional punch!

Those interested in a detailed analysis are referred
to "A Harmonic and Serial Analysis of Ben Johnston's
String Quartet No. 6", by Steven Elster, in _Perspectives
of New Music_, vol 29 #2 [Summer 1991], p 138-165.

There was an LP recording of it -- don't have any details,
but it's definitely worth seeking out. Try a large city or
university library -- I've found a good deal of Johnston's
stuff there.

Johnston's work is the most intellectually-stimulating
I've found in JI, and yet, sadly, it goes largely unrecognized.
(He's finally gotten a computer, and I'm trying to convince
him to get on this list. His input would be most enlightening.)

Joseph L. Monzo
monz@juno.com


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