KPFA-FM Music Dept. ➔ Harry Partch: 30 Years of Lyrical and Dramatic Music

Analog Audio

Event Type

Music

Origin

KPFA

Identifier

G.XXXX.XX.XX

Program Length

41 min

Dates

| broadcast
| 402 | created

Description

A selection of songs by Harry Partch utilizing unconventional instruments and unusual musical scales. “Windsong” is an excerpt from the soundtrack for the film of the same name. It is a modern rendering of the ancient myth of Daphne and Apollo. The music is a collage of sounds, ten instruments, many of which were home made, are used, with Partch playing nearly all the parts. For the studies on Greek scales Partch uses the five tone scale of Olympos and the seven tone enharmonic scale. The mazda marimba used in “Bless This Home”, was made by a student in Industrial Design at the University of Illinois. It consisted of 24 light globes of varying sizes, with the insides removed, and was played with light, soft mallets. (from KPFA Folio)

Genres

Microtonal music
Unconventional instruments

Musical Selections

Poems by Li Po: A Midnight Farewell ; Before the Cast of Wine ; An Encounter in the Field ; On Hearing the Flute at Lo-cheng ; The Intruder ; I Am a Peach Tree (1947) (7:49) -- Windsong [excerpt] (1958) (11:21) -- Two Studies on Ancient Greek Scales (1946) (3:12) -- Intrusions (1949-50) (6:54) -- Cloud-Chamber Music (1950) -- Bless the Home (1961) (2:17) [text by Vincenzo Prockelo] -- By the Rivers of Babylon [text from the 137th Psalm] (1931) (2:30)

Performers

All music and singing by Harry Partch except:
William Wendlandt, voice (Poems)
Ben Johnston, bass marimba; instrumentalist (2 Studies ; Intrusions ; Cloud)
Betty Johnston, instrumentalist (Intrusions ; Cloud)
Donald Pippin, instrumentalist (Cloud)
Vincenzo Prockelo, oboe (Bless)
Danlee Mitchell, kitahara, harmonic canon (Bless)
Joseph Varhula, mazda marimba (Bless)
Nina Cutler, voice (Rivers)
Evelyn Garvey, chromelodeon, (Rivers)
Lyndel Davis, kithara (Rivers)

Subjects

Microtonal music
Unconventional instruments
Instrumental ensembles
Harmonic canon and marimba music
Songs with instrumental ensemble

Related place

Berkeley (Calif.) (was broadcast at)

Related Entities

Partch, Harry, 1901-1974
Wendlandt, William
Johnston, Ben
Johnston, Betty
Pippin, Donald
Prockelo, Vincenzo
Mitchell, Danlee
Varhula, Joseph
Cutler, Nina
Garvey, Evelyn
Davis, Lyndel