Harry Partch: Difference between revisions
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'''This whole page is just a copy of an old revision from Wikipedia's Harry Partch page with tons of formatting errors. Rather than fix them, the whole page just needs to be updated.''' | |||
'''Wikipedia's page can be found at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Partch''' | |||
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'''Harry Partch''' (June 24, 1901 – September 3, 1974) was an [[United_States|America]]n [[composer|composer]] and [[musical_instrument|instrument]] creator. He was one of the first twentieth-century composers to work extensively and systematically with microtonal scales, writing much of his music for custom-made instruments that he built himself, tuned in [[11-limit|11-limit]] [[Just_intonation|just intonation]]. | '''Harry Partch''' (June 24, 1901 – September 3, 1974) was an [[United_States|America]]n [[composer|composer]] and [[musical_instrument|instrument]] creator. He was one of the first twentieth-century composers to work extensively and systematically with microtonal scales, writing much of his music for custom-made instruments that he built himself, tuned in [[11-limit|11-limit]] [[Just_intonation|just intonation]]. | ||
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As a child, he learned to play the clarinet, harmonium, viola, piano, and guitar. He began to compose at an early age, using [[12edo|12edo]], the tuning system most common in Western music. However, Partch grew frustrated with what he felt were imperfections of the standard system of musical tuning, believing that this system was unsuitable for reflecting the subtle melodic contours of dramatic speech and, as a result, he burned all of his early works. | As a child, he learned to play the clarinet, harmonium, viola, piano, and guitar. He began to compose at an early age, using [[12edo|12edo]], the tuning system most common in Western music. However, Partch grew frustrated with what he felt were imperfections of the standard system of musical tuning, believing that this system was unsuitable for reflecting the subtle melodic contours of dramatic speech and, as a result, he burned all of his early works. | ||
Interested in the potential musicality of speech, Partch invented and constructed instruments that could underscore the intoning voice, and he developed musical notations that accurately and practically instructed players as to how to play the instruments. His first such instrument was the ''Monophone'', later known as the ''Adapted viola''. | Interested in the potential musicality of speech, Partch invented and constructed instruments that could underscore the intoning voice, and he developed musical notations that accurately and practically instructed players as to how to play the instruments. His first such instrument was the ''Monophone'', later known as the ''Adapted viola''. | ||
Partch secured a grant that allowed him to go to [[London|London]] to study the history of tuning systems and text-setting. In Dublin, he met the poet William Butler Yeats with the intention of gaining Yeats' permission to write an opera based on the poet's translation of Sophocles' ''Oedipus the King''. In his opera, Partch transcribed the inflections of actors from the Abbey Theatre reciting lines from Sophocles' play, and Partch performed this music on his Monophone while intoning "By the Rivers of Babylon". Yeats responded enthusiastically, saying, "A play done entirely in this way, with this wonderful instrument, and with this type of music, might really be sensational", and he gave Partch's idea his blessing. | Partch secured a grant that allowed him to go to [[London|London]] to study the history of tuning systems and text-setting. In Dublin, he met the poet William Butler Yeats with the intention of gaining Yeats' permission to write an opera based on the poet's translation of Sophocles' ''Oedipus the King''. In his opera, Partch transcribed the inflections of actors from the Abbey Theatre reciting lines from Sophocles' play, and Partch performed this music on his Monophone while intoning "By the Rivers of Babylon". Yeats responded enthusiastically, saying, "A play done entirely in this way, with this wonderful instrument, and with this type of music, might really be sensational", and he gave Partch's idea his blessing. | ||
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[[:File:Partchdiamond.svg|thumb|right|225px|The [[tonality diamond|11-limit tonality diamond]], part of the basis for Partch's [[microtonality|microtonalism]]]] | [[:File:Partchdiamond.svg|thumb|right|225px|The [[tonality diamond|11-limit tonality diamond]], part of the basis for Partch's [[microtonality|microtonalism]]]] | ||
In 1943, after receiving a grant from the Guggenheim Foundation, Partch was able to dedicate more time to music. He returned to his ''Oedipus Project'', although the executors of Yeats' estate refused to grant him permission to use Yeats' translation, and he had to make his own; a recording with Yeats' translation has since been released, Yeats' text having passed into the [[public_domain|public domain]].<ref name=innova405>[[http://www.innova.mu/artist1.asp?skuID=96 http://www.innova.mu/artist1.asp?skuID=96] Innova 405]</ref> While living briefly in [[Ithaca,_New_York|Ithaca, New York]],</sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup> he began work on ''US Highball'', a musical evocation of riding the rails as a Depression-era hobo. | In 1943, after receiving a grant from the Guggenheim Foundation, Partch was able to dedicate more time to music. He returned to his ''Oedipus Project'', although the executors of Yeats' estate refused to grant him permission to use Yeats' translation, and he had to make his own; a recording with Yeats' translation has since been released, Yeats' text having passed into the [[public_domain|public domain]].<ref name=innova405>[[http://www.innova.mu/artist1.asp?skuID=96 http://www.innova.mu/artist1.asp?skuID=96] Innova 405]</ref> While living briefly in [[Ithaca,_New_York|Ithaca, New York]],</sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup> he began work on ''US Highball'', a musical evocation of riding the rails as a Depression-era hobo. | ||
In 1949, a book Partch had been working on since 1923 was eventually published as ''[[Genesis_of_a_Music|Genesis of a Music]]''. It is an account of his own music with discussions of music theory and music instrument design. Today, it is considered a standard text of microtonal music theory and takes his concept of "Corporeality", the fusion of all art forms with the body, as its central focus. | In 1949, a book Partch had been working on since 1923 was eventually published as ''[[Genesis_of_a_Music|Genesis of a Music]]''. It is an account of his own music with discussions of music theory and music instrument design. Today, it is considered a standard text of microtonal music theory and takes his concept of "Corporeality", the fusion of all art forms with the body, as its central focus. | ||
He went on to write the "dance satire" ''The Bewitched'' and ''Revelation in the Courthouse Park'', a work based in large part on [[Euripides|Euripides]]' ''[[The_Bacchae|The Bacchae]]''. ''Delusion of the Fury'' (1969) is considered by some<tt>Who|date=July 2008</tt> as his greatest work. | He went on to write the "dance satire" ''The Bewitched'' and ''Revelation in the Courthouse Park'', a work based in large part on [[Euripides|Euripides]]' ''[[The_Bacchae|The Bacchae]]''. ''Delusion of the Fury'' (1969) is considered by some<tt>Who|date=July 2008</tt> as his greatest work. | ||
Partch is famous for his [[Harry_Partch's_43-tone_scale|43-tone scale]], even though he used many different scales in his work and the number of divisions is theoretically infinite. He created and maintained his own record label, "Gate 5",<!--What date was it established?--> to release recordings of his works and generate income. Towards the end of his life, [[Columbia_Records|Columbia Records]] made recordings of some of his works, including ''Delusion of the Fury'', which helped increase public attention to his work. He remains a somewhat obscure figure, but is well-known to experimental musicians (especially those interested in microtonality) and instrument-builders, and he is considered by many<tt>Who|July 2008|date=March 2009</tt> to be one of the most significant composers of the 20th century. | Partch is famous for his [[Harry_Partch's_43-tone_scale|43-tone scale]], even though he used many different scales in his work and the number of divisions is theoretically infinite. He created and maintained his own record label, "Gate 5",<!--What date was it established?--> to release recordings of his works and generate income. Towards the end of his life, [[Columbia_Records|Columbia Records]] made recordings of some of his works, including ''Delusion of the Fury'', which helped increase public attention to his work. He remains a somewhat obscure figure, but is well-known to experimental musicians (especially those interested in microtonality) and instrument-builders, and he is considered by many<tt>Who|July 2008|date=March 2009</tt> to be one of the most significant composers of the 20th century. | ||