Harry partch the bewitched book

Musically, the bewitched is a good introduction to partchs longer piece. I conceived and wrote it in california in the period 195255, following the several performances of my version of sophocles oedipus. The following brief account of partchs residencies and academic connections is by. Written as a reaction against the rigidity of modern civilization, the piece explores how we might ultimately find a sense of rebirth through a discovering our ancient past. For the above cast and clarinet, adapted viola, harmonic canon ii, kithara ii, surrogate kithara, chromelodeon i, diamond marimba, bass marimba, marimba eroica, and spoils of war the bewitcheda dance satire 1955 soprano the witch. Ush is the chronicle of a transcontinental hobo trip on the rails, and must be considered one of the most significant american artworks yet see the page the garlic highball for a little more background.

Set in the mystical realm of the university of illinois, partch s 10 vignettes catapult the absurd into the life of the everyday student and audience memberand that life, in turn, on stage, is snapped right back into the absurd representative titles. Whereas earlier volumes in the new world series improved the sound and made the booklets more userfriendly, this one is an entirely new creation, with updated liner notes. Features original interviews with the cast and creators of the series, and lots of facts, figures, and photos. The book pointed partch towards just intonation as an acoustic basis for his music. It is exotic and bizarre, not resembling western art in any knowable sense. Sick of the seriousness of the dance and theater, american iconoclast harry partch wrote this dancesatire from 1952 to 55.

The american composer harry partch composed using scales of unequal intervals in just intonation, derived from the natural harmonic series. News and information about the american composer harry partch and his instruments. Harry partch died in san diego on september 3, 1974 of a heart attack. Stream adfree or purchase cds and mp3s now on amazon. Partch remarked before his death that he considered his work to be a kind of letter to the world, and his final composition would be an enclosure, an afterthought, a gift to the world to complete the message. It is written for a combination of his originally created instruments and some traditional wind and stringed instruments. Harry partchs archives published as book, film and audio from innova. Harry part ch june 24, 1901 september 3, 1974 was an american composer, music theorist, and creator of musical instruments. Harry partch was an american composer, music theorist, and creator of musical instruments. Like adapted guitar i, this guitar is placed upon the lap and played like a slide guitar. Harry partchs dance satire the bewitched was premiered as part of the eighth. Listen to an excerpt from partchs delusion of the fury at acousmata music blog. It is in ten scenes and about 75 minutes in duration.

Partchs final composition was the dreamer that remains, written for the film produced by betty freeman, a patron and promoter of partchs work from 1964, and who had established the harry partch foundation. The headstock has a mechanism that allows the player to change the tuning in just a few seconds. Partch described the theory and practice of his music in his book genesis of a music, which he had published first in 1947, and in an expanded edition in 1974. Finding aid for harry partch estate archive, 19181991 the.

Based around the central character of a witch vocalist freda schellpierce this lp presents an early example of the unique. The bewitched music, theatre, and ritual merge in partch s radical dance satire the bewitched. A dance satire by harry partch, twopage blackstencil copy of program or record notes folder 9. After completing the bewitched in january 1955, partch tried to find the means to put on a production of it. Three undergrads become transfigured in a hong kong music hall by harry partch scene 2 is here. Excercises in harmony and counterpoint are tried in a court of ancient ritual 4. The harry partch music scores consist of bound facsimiles of musical and theatrical compositions by experimental composer and instrumentbuilder harry partch, written between 1922 and 1972.

Taking his authority from the greeks, he argued for music as a corporeal rather than an intellectual art. This book is the first to tell the complete story of partchs life and work. Largely selftaught, he enhanced his skills as instrument maker and developed during the 1920s and 1930s his own theory of music. He built custommade instruments in these tunings on which to play his compositions, and described his theory and practice in his book genesis of a music. Its wonderful and emotional foreword was written by william asher. He developed a theory of music vastly different from that upon which western music of the last 500 years is based. University of illinois musical ensemble, harry partch the harry. This recording was originally released on partch s own label, gate 5. Bewitched and elizabeth montgomery books, cds dvds and videos. In 1956, partch began a very fruitful residency at the university of illinois where he found support for his compositions and performances. A dance satire by harry partch, text for program notes production in 1959, typescript carbon, 4 pages, statement, cast, scenario, and scene titles. Partch first presents a polemic against both equal temperament and the long history of stagnation in the teaching of music. The first draft for singers, mimes, dancers, and musicians was called cry from another darkness. Over the years, he would cut countless new cloudchamber bowls to expand his set or replace those which had broken.

Harry partch june 24, 1901 september 3, 1974 was an american composer, music theorist, and creator of musical instruments. First performance at the university of illinois festival of contemporary arts, at the university auditorium, urbana, march 26, 1957. The definitive book, a fascinating compendium of everything bewitched. Harry partch the bewitched a dance satire lp nm 1973 cri. The bewitched to enjoy in your home or car, or gift it to another music lover. The idiosyncratic list of influences partch cites includes christian hymns, chinese lullabyes, yaqui indian ritual, congo puberty ritual, cantonese music hall, and okies in california vineyards, among others. Partch s 10 vignettes satirize aspects of collegiate life but in the style of ancient ritual theater. She also formed a organization called the harry partch foundation, which is the receiver of the royalties of partchs music thats what it received, thats what it owns is the royalties of partchs musicand at one point after partchs death and after bewitched, betty wanted to put partchs music, his manuscripts, letters and. Three undergrads become transfigured in a hong kong music hall 3. Text by harry partch the bewitcheda ballet satire 1955 soprano the witch. The legendary greek figure orpheus was said to have possessed magical powers capable of moving all living and inanimate things through the sound of his lyre and voice. The second draft, dated january 17, 1965, was a fuller, longer piece, retitled delusion of the fury. This remastered reissue of the bewitched is an important collectors edition of a pioneering work of conceptual composition for mime and dance from selftaught and multidisciplined american luminary harry partch. The child of former missionaries, composer harry partch grew up in a musical family, and at an early age taught himself to play the guitar, harmonium, clarinet, and other instruments.

The bewitched by harry partch 19011974 study score. Visions fill the eyes of a defeated basketball team in the shower room harry partch john garvey chorus of lost. Harry partch biography, albums, streaming links allmusic. Partchs 10 vignettes satirize aspects of collegiate life but in the style of ancient ritual theater. Set in the mystical realm of the university of illinois. Whereas earlier volumes in the new world series improved the sound and made the booklets more userfriendly, this one is an entirely new creation, with updated liner notes and photographs from several productions of the bewitched. Includes two booklets, one of the composers notes, the other featuring photos and descriptions of the instruments. If you order it through our site, you get it at a 20% discount. During his twenties he developed the foundations of his difficult ideas about intonation and what he called corporality and began to write his notable book, genesis of a music. Partch composed with scales dividing the octave into 43 unequal tones derived fro.

Cri harry partch collection volume 2 this release combines versions of partch s important cycle the wayward, and most notably u. Harry partch, visionary and eclectic composer and instrument builder, largely selftaught, whose compositions are remarkable for the complexity of their scores each instrument has its own characteristic notation, often involving 43 tones to each octave and their employment of unique instruments. The bewitcheda dance satire by harry partch like some other examples of music written for dance, the bewitched lends itself admirably to an audio recording, or even the concert stage. Harry partch 19011974 the bewitched a dance satire 1956 1. Partch, h enclosure 5 by harry partch on amazon music. Yet the best documentary portrait of partch is not on film its the new book enclosure three. This is a recording of the first performance of harry partch s dancesatire, the bewitched, which took place at the university of illinois champaignurbana campus in 1957. Partch initially discovered the cloudchamber bowls at the university of california, berkeley, where portions of pyrex carboys were discarded by the radiation laboratory. Harry partch born june 24, 1901 in oakland, california, usa died september 3, 1974, encinitas, california, usa was one of the first composers in the west to work systematically with microtonal scales, he also invented and built instruments on which to play his compositions. Over the years, he would cut countless new cloudchamber bowls to expand his. Excercises in harmony and counterpoint are tried in a court of ancient ritual remastered 05.

He composed using scales of unequal intervals in just intonation, and was one of the first 20thcentury composers in the west to work systematically with microtonal scales. In the period from 1941 1956, he composed and rewrote over a dozen works, invented and built over a dozen instruments, arranged several performances and recordings of his works, and wrote the first edition of his book, genesis of a music. The rhythmic motivations of castor and pollux and even wild horses harry partch a word or two on the tuning of harry partch rudolf rasch harry partch s cloud chamber music ben johnston daphne of the dunes. Over time, the orphic theme has come to indicate the power of music to unsettle, subvert, and ultimately bring down oppressive realities in order to liberate the soul and expand human life without limits. Barstoweight hitchhiker inscriptions from a highway railing at barstow, california. It is music that holds its own in the abstract, as is the case of harry partchs entire output, yet it is. Partchs book genesis of a music 1949, revised 1974 details partchs theories and methods, and describes many of his works in detail. In his teens partch played the piano well enough to accompany silent films in albuquerque.

He was one of the first twentiethcentury composers to work extensively and systematically with microtonal scales, writing much of his music for custommade instruments that he built himself, tuned in 11limit just intonation. Partch, though living nearby, had no connection with the university. During his early school years in arizona and new mexico he had some rudimentary music lessons, which he found unexciting and conventional. September 3, 1974 was an american composer and instrument creator. If one is a devotee of the rarified music of american composer harry partch, then there are many reasons to love new world records retread of his classic 1957 university of illinois recording of the dance satire the bewitched. That harry partchs oneofakind instruments have been living in seattle for the past five years is incredible, and it is one of the many things that currently make our city artistically unique. The meadows guide to partch recordings, videos and books. Harry partch project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. The romancing of a pathological liar comes to an inspired end 5. Finding aid for harry partch estate archive, 19181991. Partchs musical language is dominated by percussive effects, microtonal scales and influences from music of world cultures. Notes and synopsis by harry partch the bewitched is in the tradition of worldwide ritual theatre. Partch s adapted guitar ii is a hawaiiantype guitar, consisting of ten strings which are typically tuned to harry s 169 otonality or 43 utonality.

Harry partch discography compiled 1982 music of john cage and harry partch new world records nw 214, 1978 from the music of harry partch composers recordings, inc, srd 193, 1964 the world of harry partch columbia ms 7207, 1969 the bewitched cri sd 304, 1973 double lp and on the seventh day petals fell in petaluma cri sd 2, 1967. This is not performed by the gate 5 ensemble so often credited on partch s gate 5 records, which sometimes consisted of just himself, overdubbed, playing all the instruments. Harry partch the bewitched a dance satire by harry partch. Visionary composer, theorist, and creator of musical instruments, harry partch. Collected journals, essays, introductions, and librettos 1991. Newly remastered from the original mono master tapes the bewitched was partchs first work solely intended for dance and mime dance. This new recording marks the first complete performance of harry partch s major cycle in three parts, plectra and percussion dances. For partch fans and neophytes alike, enclosure three contains essential. It was originally conceived as a play in two acts, with a dramatic first act and a comedic second. The bewitched serves as the fourth and final volume in cris harry partch collection. The bewitched serves as the fourth and final volume in new worlds revamped harry partch collection, which began after it absorbed the series from the disbanded cri label. After partch s death and his instruments stayed at sdsu for another fifteen years under the control of danlee mitchell.

Harry partch was born in oakland, california as son of missionary parents on 24 june 1901. Three undergrads become transfigured in a hong kong music hall 18. The following are descriptions of some of harry partchs instruments. Harry partch 190174 was one of this countrys most iconoclastic, visionary, and courageous composers, and it is a measure of his controversial status in the world of american arts and letters that. It is an extremely interesting and revealing 4cdset, opening up the world of harry partch in one single creek of the barn door. Downloadable audio from the outofprint lp the world of harry partch 2004 selections, national recording preservation board of the library of congress. A collection of essays, journals, and librettos by partch was published posthumously as bitter music. The world of harry partch 1969 full album duration. The bewitched by harry partch 19011974 study score sheet. In 1930, partch burned everything he had composed up to that time.

Some old and new thoughts after and before the bewitched. Harry died in 1974, a few months before scheduled performances of the bewitched. Harry partch was perhaps the most radical of all american composers. Three undergrads become transfigured in a hong kong music hall remastered 05. Harry partch june 24, 1901 september 3, 1974 was an american composer, music theorist. Provided to youtube by the orchard enterprises the bewitched scene 5. For objective voice, subjective voice, surrogate kithara, chromelodeon i, diamond marimba, and boo. The composer referred to it as a satyr play, ritual theatre, and a dancesatire. A biography is the first fulllength treatment of the composers life and work. Genesis of a music is a book first published in 1949 by microtonal composer harry partch 19011974. San franciscoa setting of the cries of two newsboys on a foggy night in the twenties. Compositions include seminal works such as delusions of the fury, oedipus the king, u. For a more detailed and complete survey, see partchs book genesis of a music.