Rational Melodies
A suite of 21 systematic melodies, written for any melodic instrument(s), by Tom Johnson in 1982. Ensemble Klang has played a number of them in different versions since first meeting the composer in November 2007. And a small selection of five are presented on our Tom Johnson CD, released in 2010.
Performances
- Uitmarkt, Museumplein, Amsterdam (28 Aug 2011)
- Orgelpark, Amsterdam (13 Mar 2010)
- Reina Sofia, Madrid, Spain (15 Feb 2010)
- Lichtenberg, Maastricht, Maastricht (6, 7 & 8 Jun 2008)
- Korzo, The Hague, The Hague (30 Nov 2007)
Tom Johnson
Tom Johnson (b. 1939) belongs to a rich tradition of artists, from Marcel Duchamp through John Cage, who prefer ‘finding’ to ‘creating’. In Johnson’s case, a surprising musical beauty is found in the regularity, logic and symmetry of pre-existing mathematical structures. A clarity of texture, an ear for transparent harmony and a preference for simple and elegant rhythmical designs are more than mere characteristics of Johnson’s sound world, they are structural determinants that drive the forms themselves.
