Listen closely. Have you ever heard music from instruments crafted from bomber nosecones and pyrex bowls? That’s the unique sound awaiting us at the Harry Partch Instrumentarium.
The Harry Partch Instrumentarium is not just a collection of instruments. It is a testament to one man’s radical vision. Harry Partch was an American composer. He challenged Western music’s conventional tuning system.
Partch sought new sounds beyond the standard twelve tones. He invented his own instruments. These instruments allowed him to explore microtonal music. Microtonal music uses intervals smaller than a semitone.
Imagine Partch. He called himself a philosophic music-man seduced into carpentry. He designed and built instruments with evocative names. There is the Chromelodeon, Quadrangularis Reversum, and Zymo-Xyl.
The Zymo-Xyl includes tuned liquor bottles and Ford hubcaps. This highlights Partch’s resourcefulness. He found music in unexpected places.
One of Partch’s early instruments was the Adapted Viola. It is a viola body. It has a cello neck. Partch hammered brads into the fingerboard. This helped him find precise fingerings.
The Adapted Viola became central to Partch’s compositions. He often paired it with intoning voices. This created a unique sonic landscape.
Consider the Kitharas. These are large, upright instruments with 72 strings. They are tuned with pyrex rods. Performers play them with fingers or plectra.
Partch’s instruments found a home at the University of Washington in Seattle in 2014. Charles Corey directs the Harry Partch Institute there. The instruments are maintained and used in performances.
The Harry Partch Ensemble performs Partch’s works. They also premiere new compositions. These new pieces are written specifically for Partch’s instruments.
Corey also teaches classes about Partch’s work. Students learn about tuning and microtonality. Some students even compose for Partch’s instruments.
The Harry Partch Instrumentarium has inspired many musicians. Peter Tracy described his experience. He saw a Seattle production of Partch’s Oedipus. He was drawn in by the sounds he had never heard before.
The instruments create a unique combination. It blends music, dance, and theatre. The result is whimsical and energetic. It is a one-of-a-kind experience.
These instruments exist to be touched. People can explore the Kithara or Cloud Chamber Bowls. This hands-on experience sparks creativity and invites participation.
The Harry Partch Instrumentarium embodies Partch’s spirit. It’s about a vision. He wanted to work in just intonation. He built 50 instruments to realize that vision.
As we stand here, remember Partch’s words. He sought to create music expressive of both text and the essence of the singer. The Harry Partch Instrumentarium invites us to listen to the world in a new way. It is a testament to the power of imagination.