Rahn, John
Rahn, John
Rahn, John , American composer, music theorist, and bassoonist; b. N.Y., Feb. 26, 1944. He studied classics at Pomona Coll. in Claremont, Calif. (B.A., 1967) and bassoon at the Juilliard School of Music in N.Y. (diploma, 1967). He played in a number of ensembles (1960–70). After military service, he studied composition with Babbitt, Boretz, and Randall at Princeton Univ. (M.F.A., 1972; Ph.D., 1974, with the diss. Lines [Of and About Music]). He taught at the Univ. of Mich., Ann Arbor (1973–75), then joined the faculty of the Univ. of Wash, in Seattle (1975), where he became a prof. in 1984; in 1994 he became Assoc. Director for Academic Affairs and Advising and Graduate Program Coordinator there. He was associated with the journal Perspectives of New Music (from 1972); in 1983, became ed. In addition to his numerous articles on theory and computer applications, his Basic Atonal Theory (N.Y., 1980) has the unique distinction of being a lucid introduction to set theory. Among recent works is an in-progress opera, The New Mother, as well as an in-progress book, Music Inside Out: Going Too Far in Musical Essays.
Works
Sonata for Bassoon and Harpsichord (1967; N.Y., May 26, 1968); Alice for Tape (1967); A Lyrical, Linear Basis for Three Double Basses (1967; in collaboration with S. A. Jones); Collaboration for 5 Instruments (1967); Epithalamium for Piano (1968); 5 Forms for Piano (1968); Games for Saxophone and String Quartet (1969; N.Y., April 22, 1970); Progressive Etude for Bass Trombone (1969); Quintet for Winds (1969); Reductionist Variations for Piano (1969); Deloumenon for Concert Band (1970; Ann Arbor, Nov. 13, 1974); 3 Titbits for Clarinet and Cello (1970); Counterparts for Trumpet (1970); Trois Chants de Mère L’Oie for Soprano and Piano (1971; Princeton, March 30, 1973); Hos Estin for Chorus and Ensemble (1971); Trio for Clarinet, Cello, and Piano (Princeton, May 21, 1972); Peanut Butter Defies Gravity for Soprano and Piano (Princeton, May 19, 1973); Breakfast for Piano (1976; Seattle, May 18, 1977); Improvisations on a Synclavier of Corn for Tape (Seattle, Nov. 1, 1978); Another Lecture for Tape and Speaker (Seattle, April 26, 1980); Out of Haydn for Fortepiano (1981); IRT 4/23 for Tape (1983); Kali for Computer-generated Tape (Seattle, Feb. 26, 1986); Miranda for Computer (Seattle, Nov. 1990); Pledge for Viola and Vibraphone (Seattle, Nov. 26, 1990); Superman for Viola and Snare Drum (Seattle, Nov. 26, 1990); Jesse for Viola and Percussion (1989–90); Dance for Computer (Seattle, Feb. 19, 1991; in collaboration with J. Coleman, A. Chavasse, and R. Parker); Another Lecture (1992); Sea of Souls 1 (1993) and 2 for Computer (1994).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire