Ben Johnston

[Marc Sabat]

Hello all, greetings from the Donaueschingen Festival 2008 where Ben Johnston just won the SWR orchestra prize for the European premiere of his 1966 piece "Quintet for Groups". I am posting an mp3 of the performance for those of you who missed this wonderful and historic live broadcast. Hope that it will be a great beginning for some more of his unfairly neglected music to get played at the highest level... Looking forward to hearing a string quartet cycle! Take care, Marc Sabat

[Jeff Harrington]

Fantastic! Thanks for putting this up.

[Etha Williams]

Thanks for posting this! I have the Kepler Quartet's recording of Quartet Nos 2, 3, 4, & 9 (part of a proposed quartet cycle that never happened, sad to say....), and the Johnston works that are available on the Avant Garde Project (Installment No 9). I've really enjoyed what I've heard so far. Glad to hear that he is getting recognition at the DF.

[Marc Sabat]

Apparently the Kepler project continues, but slower than initially planned. They have recorded several more which Ben is currenly editing with them. Also, there are some more European performances in the works. I will post more when I know that the announcement is official. A worklist and some recordings are also forthcomung on my website, www.plainsound.org

[David Beardsley]

Thanks, this is a real treat!

I'm also looking forward to the entire string qt cycle from the Kepler Quartet.

[Etha Williams]

Marc,

Thanks for the info on the Kepler quartet project -- I look forward to subsequent installments. And thanks again for posting this mp3; I wouldn't have been able to hear it otherwise.

Marc Sabat said:

Apparently the Kepler project continues, but slower than initially planned. They have recorded several more which Ben is currenly editing with them. Also, there are some more European performances in the works. I will post more when I know that the announcement is official. A worklist and some recordings are also forthcomung on my website, www.plainsound.org

[Dave Seidel]

Thanks, Marc! And congrats to Ben Johnston.

[Nicholas White]

Warning: this response is based on my superficial understanding of what the Donaueschingen Tagen fest is and its goals.

I'm surprised that a piece from 1966 was even performed there, let alone awared. Oh SNAPS! lol

But seriously, am I in the (mis)know?

[Jason Francesco Heath]

Yes thank you, I love it. Also congrats to Los Angeles-based Denali String Quartet who gave a beautiful performance of Ben Johnston's 4th string quartet last Friday night!

[Jeff Harrington]

I just find this piece to be absolutely astounding. Can't stop listening to it. I think his prize was given for a couple of reasons. One, Germans love to make Amerikans look stupid - like we've been ignoring this 'genius' like forever. Two, microtonal music is in. People are sick of sustained seventh chords! Haha... (Rzewski said that last year at Columbia - bashing spectralists...).

[Tim Rutherford-Johnson]

Hi Marc - thanks for the share.

I'm curious - what is the SWR orchestra prize exactly, and who chooses the winners? (I've had a quick look round the SWR/Donaueschingen site for answers without much luck).

[Marc Sabat]

Hi! The prize is selected by the orchestra musicians each year from all of the pieces played at the festival.

[Marc Sabat]

Hi Marc-

If anyone is interested -- the next disc will definitely contain quartets 1,5,6 and 10.
Given the learning curve, we have high hopes for it- thanks for indulging us!

Update from Eric Segnitz of the Kepler Quartet -- their second disc is planned for 2009 with a next instalment of Johnston's quartet repertory, looking forward!