American composer and critic Tom Johnson (born November 18, 1939 in Greeley, Colorado), is one of the few composers to self-identify as minimalist; in fact, he may have coined the term while serving as the new music critic for the Village Voicecitation needed. He has since collected those articles in the book The Voice of New Music which is available free through the external link below. He has lived in Paris since 1983.
His pieces are most often based simply on mathematical and logical processes, such as tiling, which he attempts to make as clear as possible. His works include: Rational Melodies, An Hour for Piano, Organ and Silence, and The Four Note Opera. As Greg Sandow (2003) describes Nine Bells, "in which he walked, at a steady rhythmic pace (and, if I remember correctly, for more than an hour), among nine suspended burglar alarm bells, systematically exploring all the possible paths among them. Which, since he strikes each bells as he passes it, are also all the possible melodies their pitches might make. As in many of Tom's works, theory and practice are identical here... You see and hear the structure of the piece. That's not even remotely abstract; instead, it's pure happiness, as the pealing bells seem to ring with Tom's concentration (visible in his face and body, audible in his steady steps), and his joie de vivre."
Johnson is married to artist Esther Ferrer.
References
- Johnson, Tom (1989). The Voice of New Music: New York City 1972-1982 -- A Collection of Articles Originally Published by the Village Voice. Eindhoven, Netherlands: Het Apollohuis. ISBN 90-71638-09-X. Available for free download at: [1]
External links
- Tom Johnson biography
- Tom Johnson Editions 75
- Some Observations on Tiling Problems by Tom Johnson
- Lovely Music Artist: Tom Johnson
- NewMusicBox.org: Tom Johnson answers: "What role has theory played in your compositions and how important is it for people to know the theory behind the music in order to appreciate it?"
- Four-note Opera
- THE VOICE OF NEW MUSIC (1991) "An anthology of articles on the evolution of minimal music in New York in 1972-1982, which originally appeared in the Village Voice. Published originally by Apollohuis, in Eindhoven, Holland, and now available as a free download."
- NewMusicBox.org: View From The East: An Old Friend By Greg Sandow © 2003 NewMusicBox
- Bonhoeffer Oratorium Program Notes
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